This blog entry is brought to you in part by Miranda Wampler. haha Sorry, I've wanted to say that for a while. But seriously, I am guest-blogging today on behalf of my mom.
Yesterday we made super yummy blackberry jam. And when I say "we", I mean that my mom made it and I stood around (in the way) and took pictures. Hey, someone's gotta document it, right? I'm sayin.
In my own words, I will give you step-by-step instructions on how to make your own yummy blackberry jam (the yummy part is optional). Think of it as a "Jam for Dummies". Not that you're a dummy in any way. ;)
And now (in my best 'The Price is Right' model pose) I present to you to the easy peasy recipe:
Step-by-step with photos
1. Sterilize the jars. You can either boil them in a pot of water or wash them in the dishwasher. We opted for the dishwasher... A lot easier.
2. Get all your jam crap together. Totally not crap, but it's a mess of stuff. Jars, lids, fruit pectin, etc.
3. Measure the berries. Our recipe calls for 80 oz. (9 cups) of whole blackberries.
4. Pour all of your berries in to a large pot and set aside.
5. Measure out 7 cups of sugar and set aside.
6. Boil the berries and mash until juicy. Stir continuously until they won't boil down.
7. Stir in the fruit pectin
8. Pour in all of the sugar
9. Keep the seals and lids in extremely hot water (not boiling) until ready to use.
10. To test your jam, place a metal spoon in ice cold water. If the jam gels on the spoon, you've done well. If not, you might want to add a tad more pectin to your berry mixture.
11. Be sure to have all of your canning tools ready. This cute little kit can be found at most WalMart stores.
12. Fill each jar leaving half inch space at the top.
13. After tightening the lids, place the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes to properly seal.
14. Make sure there is at least an inch or two water covering the top of the lids.
15. Remove the pot lid and let sit for 5 minutes. Take out each jar and wipe it down.
Wait 12-24 hours and enjoy!
