Blackberry and Apple Jam

23rd August 2010

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The rain continues…is it really August? What happened to our lovely sunny weather…It feels like winter is fast approaching and summer dresses and floaty clothing will soon be tucked away to make room for winter jumpers and snug warm boots. I’m not ready though… I need longer in the sun, more time to relax and enjoy our lovely countryside, more time to enjoy fresh air, lazy spells of gardening and simple cooking.

Walking the country lanes and searching out seasonal produce is fun and rewarding. So although I've already posted a plum jam recipe here's another, this time for blackberry and apple. Time I think to start gathering the berries and sorting out the shed for jam jars.

Blackberry and Apple Jam recipe

Gather up what you need before you start.

1k (roughly 2lb) of blackberries
350g (12ozs) of apples, windfalls are fine
White sugar
Water

Then:

Core and roughly chop the apples .
Put apples, cores and blackberries in a large pan and add just enough water to cover and simmer until soft.
Sieve the softened fruit then weigh the sieved pulp (discard the skins and seeds left in the sieve). Add 450g (1lb) of sugar for each 450g (1lb) of sieved pulp.
Put sieved pulp and sugar into a large saucepan and heat very gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring the jam to the boil and continue to boil very rapidly for about 8-10 minutes until the jam reaches setting point.
When the jam has set, carefully pour into warm, sterilised jars.
Cover the jars with tight fitting screw-top lids, or waxed disks and cellophane pot covers.
Label when cold and store in a cool, dark place, away from damp.

It is well worth sieving the fruit when soft so that you don’t have jam with seeds in….far nicer when spreading on thick buttered toast in the winter….lovely.

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