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Blackberry Jam

Still hot.

The last time I made blackberry "jam," I just boiled blackberries with a little bit of sugar and lemon and called it good. It was not jam. It was sauce. It was good, but I wanted jam. This time, I found this recipe, which promised actual jam without the need for pectin or much sugar. Sounds like my error the first time was just not cooking it for long enough. 

This is easy, delicious, and only takes a little bit more time (but not much more effort) than my previous attempt. My only change was that I added a splash of extra lemon juice to each jar to increase the acid content even more before water-bath canning them. Probably not necessary, but I did it.


The Recipe: (from Practical Self Reliance)
5 cups blackberries
1-2 cups sugar, depending on sweetness of berries and how quickly you want it to gel
2 tb lemon juice, plus a splash in each jar
  • Combine ingredients in a heavy pan. Cook on medium-low, stirring periodically, until it gels. Along the way, mash the berries with the side of the spoon or a potato masher.
  • Pour into jars and process in water-bath canner for 10 minutes.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A
Overall reason: Delicious and easy without much sugar
Time to prepare: 90 minutes
Kid quote: None yet since these are on the shelf waiting for winter, but he will love it

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