I make a lot of different jams, I think over the last couple of years I made 20 different types and by now they have all disappeared except the sour plum jam, so I think they are pretty good. But the staple for my boys is Blackberry Jam. Blackberries are everywhere in abundance, and they are relatively easy to pick. Back when we lived in California, we would go down on the levees and pick buckets full of berries. Walkers and joggers would wander by and look at us like we were crazy or comment on the novelty of someone picking the berries. If we did not get to a patch of berries, they would dry on the vines, too many for even the birds to eat!
Now that we live in the Pacific Northwest, there is a lot more competition for natures bounty. I would go to the end of our driveway where the main road is lined with eight foot tall blackberry brambles on one side before work. At 5-6 AM in the morning, there would be several other people out in the pre-dawn light filling buckets and trying not to tangle themselves in the thorns.
With my fresh picked berries, I follow these steps to produce a consistently perfect jam:
Prepare jars, rings, and lids - each batch will make 4-5 pints of jam. I usually prepare 6 jars in case I miraculously have more than I thought.
Ingredients:
6 cups crushed blackberries
5 cups sugar
1 package pectin (usually SureJell)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Crush berries - I usually pour berries into a measuring cup then mash them until juicy.
In a large pot, a tall stockpot is best, bring the berries to a boil, stirring constantly
Add sugar and keep stirring until all is melted, bring back to a boil.
Add lemon juice.
Add pectin, keep stirring and bring to a rolling boil.
Boil for 2-4 minutes, this is where a long handled spoon can come in handy!
Done! Ladle into jars, cap, and put into a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
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