I have been regularly foraging blackberries for a few weeks now and have already made some blackberry ripple ice cream. Now I am beginning to focus on homemade gifts for Christmas hampers and so blackberry and apple jam are on the list. I used crab apples as I managed to find these whilst out picking berries but you can use bramley apples instead.
Method
- Make sure you wash and pick over your foraged berries and apples carefully to make sure there aren't any bugs.
- Use roughly half and half in blackberries and apples.
- Add the berries to a large pan and roughly cut the apples. You can peel and core the apples if you like but I decided to try this method, with the cores and peel as this adds more pectin. We will strain the juices out later.
- Bring the berries and apples to the boil and use a potato masher to help break the apples down.
- When you have a liquid mixture, take off the heat.
- Allow to cool slightly and then strain the mixture, either through a clean piece of muslin of J cloth. You can use a sieve if you don't mind blackberry seeds in your jam.
- I started with a J cloth and then moved to the sieve as I am not picky about seeds and wanted to get as much jam as possible.
- I then also added the seeds and apple peelings back into the pan with a little water to squeeze out some more juices.
- When finished clean the pan.
- Once this is done measure out the amount of fruit mix you have. Place this mixture back into the clean pan and add the same amount in sugar.
- Place a small plate in the fridge.
- Sterilise your jars by washing them in soapy water and leaving them to dry in a warm oven.
- Heat the sugar and fruit mixture until it thickens, keep stirring to make sure the bottom doesn't burn.
- Taste the setting of the mixture by placing a small spoonful of jam on the chilled plate. If you can wrinkle the jam placed on the plate with your finger it will set. Don't worry too much about this stage as I have never had trouble setting jam whilst using apples.
- Carefully fill and seal the jars.
