Blackberries are a scrumptious fruit that’s naturally excessive in pectin. This makes it a fantastic fruit to make a simple blackberry jam which wants no added pectin. With blackberries, sugar, and a splash of lemon juice, you may simply have some scrumptious, no pectin, low sugar blackberry jam able to get pleasure from on toast, pancakes, waffles and extra.
Blackberries
To make this straightforward blackberry jam, you’ll need blackberries. If you’re selecting your individual berries, make sure that to select them from an space that hasn’t had any nasties sprayed on them. Additionally it is a good suggestion to scrub them totally. Soaking them in salted water will assist clear them and take away any bugs. Dry totally earlier than utilizing.
When selecting the blackberries on your jam, it’s best to make use of ripe and barely underripe berries as overripe ones are likely to have much less pectin in them.
Getting Jam to Set
For jams to thicken and set, they want a substance often called pectin. Some fruits naturally include extra pectin than others. When making jams and jellies with low-pectin fruits, usually lemon juice is added.
Excessive-pectin Fruits
- Apples
- Blackcurrants
- Redcurrants
- Gooseberries
- Raspberries
- Plums
- Cranberries
- Oranges
- Lemons
- Apricots
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
Low-pectin fruits
- Strawberries
- Rhubarb
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Pears
If you’re utilizing low-pectin fruits in your jam, you also needs to add some lemon juice or maybe combine in some high-pectin fruit to assist your jam to set. Alternatively, utilizing jam sugar with low-pectin fruit works nicely.
To make jam, it’s good to soften the fruit first. We like our strawberry jam comparatively easy, so whereas softening the fruit, I used a masher to mash it to a easy puree, although that is simply our private style.
The combination will then have to boil and thicken and you’ll need to stir it regularly in order that it doesn’t burn or stick with the underside of the pot. In case you have a sweet thermometer, it must learn 105°C (220°F), although you’ll need to maintain a detailed eye on the combination when it begins getting round this temperature.
In the event you don’t have a thermometer, you should use the jam / chilly plate check. Earlier than beginning your jam, merely place 3 or 4 small plates within the freezer. Whenever you assume the jam could also be prepared, place a small teaspoon quantity of jam onto one of many chilly plates from the freezer and let it sit for about 30 seconds. Then run your finger by the center of the blob of jam. If the road begins to fill again over, it means the jam is simply too runny and isn’t prepared but, so preserve cooking and repeat once more in about 5 minutes. If the road stays, then the jam has reached setting level and is prepared.
This jam must be positioned into sterilised jars. This recipe makes about 3-4 cups of strawberry jam, so that you received’t want too many jars. It’s going to should be saved within the fridge and may final about 1-3 months this fashion. Although, if you happen to observe the right directions for canning (the recent water tub technique), it is possible for you to to retailer it within the pantry for as much as two years.
Can I Freeze Blackberry Jam?
Sure! You may freeze it proper within the jar. Simply make sure that you’ve preserved it correctly and undoubtedly go away some house on the high as it is going to increase a tiny bit when freezing.
Why Didn’t my Jam Set?
There are numerous causes as to why your jam didn’t set. It could have wanted to be cooked longer or generally, the fruit you used didn’t have sufficient pure sugar and wanted a bit extra pectin added.
In the event you adopted these directions and your jam didn’t set correctly, place your jam within the fridge in a single day. If it isn’t set within the morning, you would attempt re-cooking it a bit longer and could also be including a little bit of pectin or some extra sugar and lemon, although make sure that to style check as you don’t need to add an excessive amount of that it could have an effect on the flavour.
Sterilisation
There are a number of methods to sterilise your jars.
Was the jars and lids in sizzling, soapy water. Rinse the jars I sizzling water and place the wrong way up on racks in an oven heated to 120˚C. You may line the racks with baking paper first, if you need.
Warmth the jars for 20 minutes.
You may as well clear and sterilise your jars by washing them in sizzling, soapy water then rinsing them nicely. Then, boil them in a pot of water for about quarter-hour. (Be sure that the jars are utterly dry earlier than filling them.)
Don’t place chilly jam into sizzling jars or sizzling jam into chilly jars as they could crack and break.
Making Blackberry Jam
To make blackberry jam, you’ll need:
- 1 pound (454 grams) Blackberries
- 1 ½ cups White Sugar
- 2 TBSP Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
Place two small saucers or plates within the freezer. You’ll use these to check when the jam is ready if you happen to don’t have a sweet thermometer.
Put together the blackberries by washing, and drying. You may reduce them in half if you want as nicely.
Place the blackberries, sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice into a big saucepan.
Warmth over medium low warmth, stirring repeatedly.
As soon as the sugar has utterly dissolved, mash the blackberries into smaller bits, if you want.
You may then run the smashed berries by a mesh sieve, catching the syrup and pulp, discarding the seeds and core. Once more, that is elective.
Boil for round 20 minutes, whereas stirring repeatedly till the jam reaches the gel stage. Examine by dropping a bit of the jam onto a relaxing saucer. This jam can take as much as half-hour to achieve the gel stage. Be aware that in this time, the blackberry jam can closely foam. You will have to observe it repeatedly and stir as the froth rises.
To assist with the foaming, a small dab of butter may be added to the combination. Although this isn’t crucial if you happen to stir when it foams up.
Let the dropped jam stand for 30 seconds after which run your finger by it. If it wrinkles, the jam is prepared. Whether it is nonetheless fairly runny, prepare dinner the jam for an additional 1 to 2 minutes earlier than retesting.
When the jam is completed, rigorously ladle into ready canning jars leaving ¼ inch headspace.
Retailer within the fridge for as much as 3 months, or course of in a water tub canner for 10 minutes.
Canning
Utilizing clear and sterile jars, make sure that they’re sizzling earlier than including the recent jam.
Rigorously ladle the nice and cozy jam into the jars leaving ¼ inch headspace.
As soon as all of the jars are full, wipe of any extra jam from the edges with a clear, damp material.
Place the lids on the jars, making certain they’re centred and flat. Twist on the screw bands till they’re fingertip tight. Don’t over-tighten the lids.
Place the jars right into a boiling water tub, making certain they’re coated with not less than one inch of water. Boil for 10 to fifteen minutes, relying on the dimensions of the jars you might be utilizing. 12 oz = 10 minutes, 16 oz = 15 minutes.
As soon as the jars have completed processing, take away them from the water utilizing a jar lifter and permit them to chill on a towel or rack for not less than 24 hours. As soon as cooled, test the seals and retailer in a cool, dry place till prepared to make use of.
This jam ought to preserve for as much as one 12 months.
Refrigerate as soon as open.
Notes
- The extra sugar you add, the faster the gel stage can be reached.
- This can be a low sugar blackberry jam recipe. You may make a extra typical jam with out pectin by weighing out equal elements sugar and fruit and following the identical technique of cooking. The yield can be way more if you happen to make the jam this fashion.
- The quantity of sugar and lemon juice doesn’t have an effect on the recipe for protected canning. The measurements for these elements may be elevated or decreased with affecting it.
- This recipe yields round 2 cups of jam. It could be doubled to make a bigger batch, although don’t overdo it as additional massive jam batches usually have bother reaching the warmth required for reaching the get stage.
Different Jams and Spreads
Blackberry Jam
Simple Living. Creative Learning
This easy, low sugar blackberry jam is simple to make, comprises no added pectin and takes scrumptious on a bit of toast.
Substances
- 454 Grams Blackberries
- 1 ½ Cups White, granulated Sugar
- 2 TBSP Lemon Juice, Freshly squeezed
Directions
-
Place two small saucers or plates within the freezer. You’ll use these to check when the jam is ready if you do not have a sweet thermometer.
-
Put together the blackberries by washing, and drying. You may reduce them in half if you want as nicely.
-
Place the blackberries, sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice into a big saucepan.
-
Warmth over medium low warmth, stirring repeatedly.
-
As soon as the sugar has utterly dissolved, mash the blackberries into smaller bits, if you want.
-
You may then run the smashed berries by a mesh sieve, catching the syrup and pulp, discarding the seeds and core. Once more, that is elective.
-
Boil for round 20 minutes, whereas stirring repeatedly till the jam reaches the gel stage. Examine by dropping a bit of the jam onto a relaxing saucer. This jam can take as much as half-hour to achieve the gel stage. Be aware that in this time, the blackberry jam can closely foam. You will have to observe it repeatedly and stir as the froth rises.
-
To assist with the foaming, a small dab of butter may be added to the combination. Although this isn’t crucial if you happen to stir when it foams up.
-
Let the dropped jam stand for 30 seconds after which run your finger by it. If it wrinkles, the jam is prepared. Whether it is nonetheless fairly runny, prepare dinner the jam for an additional 1 to 2 minutes earlier than retesting.
-
When the jam is completed, rigorously ladle into ready canning jars leaving ¼ inch headspace.
-
Retailer within the fridge for as much as 3 months, or course of in a water tub canner for 10 minutes.
