Blackberry Jam

Harry Lowe picked some blackberries for me at the end of the summer, but I kept forgetting to rescue them from the freezer.

Finally, I remembered.



Some people don't like blackberry jam because of the seeds, but I like the grittiness.

I had a box of preserving sugar I picked up in England. Preserving sugar is sugar with the pectin already mixed in. It makes for easy preserves.

RECIPE:

2 pounds of Virginia blackberries
1 box preserving sugar (32ounces)
the juice of one lemon

Place all the ingredients in a preserving pan or deep pot.

Let the sugar leach out the juice for about 1 hour

Bring the preserves to a rolling boil ( you know it's rolling if you stir it and it keeps right on boiling)

Boil for 4-5 minutes

Take off the heat and cool for a few minutes, then skim off any "imperfection" foam

Can as you wish.

(I pour the jam into hot jars, screw on the top, invert, leave for 5 minutes and right the jars. PLEASE do not scream at me. I know the USDA hates me for this, but really, I've done it this way for YEARS and I'm still alive. Two of the best jam makers in the whole wide world, Christine Ferber and June Taylor, use this method. FEEL FREE to put the jarred preserves in a hot water bath for 10 minutes if you wish.)

YES YOU CAN !