In a jam...

Gaynor and I went blackberry picking again this Sunday, our third expedition this year. There seems to be a lot of fruit on the brambles, much better than last season, must be all the rain. Gaynor hates the way that the blackberries stain your hands, I don’t mind it, but I always seem to get stains on my shirt when I’m jam-making.

I love making jam; there’s something very therapeutic about it. I’m on my third batch of blackberry jam (preserve or jelly really, I remove the pips and skins) this year. I don’t make a lot, but enough to share around a little.

This is what I do, it’s very easy.

After you’ve picked your fruit you need to weigh it. We picked five pounds last Sunday whilst Holly was out on a hack – not bad going for an hour or so. You need an equal amount of ordinary white sugar, and I add a little booze and some lime juice from half a lime. In booze terms, use whatever takes your fancy; I used the Grappa (60% proof grape-based pomace (the remains of the grape after pressing) clear brandy spirit) that I won on the tombola at Holly’s Christmas Fair last year. Don’t add too much, just enough so that you can imagine that you can taste it, so that you can declare ‘you can really taste the alcohol in that’ - when you probably can’t.

Get your potato masher and mash it all down whilst simmering it in a big pot for about eight minutes. When it looks nice and liquid boil vigorously for about ten minutes or until the setting point is reached. Now about the setting point… I have no idea how you tell when it is reached, all I can say is that I know when it is reached because I can see it, I don’t know how I can see it, but I can. Of course you could use a jam thermometer, and it’s always a good idea to do the plate test to be sure.

Plate Test: put a small plate in the fridge for a few minutes and when you think the setting point has been reached spoon a little of the mixture onto it. If it cools and sets in a minute or so the setting point is reached, if it runs continue to boil and re-test.

Stir a knob of butter into the mixture to disperse the scum. I hate the ‘scum’ word when it appertains to jam making, but that is what they call it in all the cook books.

Get a fine sieve, place over a jug, spoon in some of the jam mixture, and press and stir with a wooden spoon so that the liquid runs into the jug and the pulp (pomace) is left behind. Best put down newspaper to avoid splashes. Do this in small batches pouring into assorted jars as you go. Leave to cool and then cover. If you don’t have lids (I never do, I don’t know where they go) use cling film. If you want you can cut out circles of baking parchment and place over the top of the cling film securing each with a red elastic band for that home-made look.

Label with something like: ‘Extra Special Home-Made Blackberry Preserve’, with your swirliest handwriting, and date.

That’s it! Enjoy your jam making.