Creative – blackberry with a hint of apple jam making

I went home to my parents last weekend and we went blackberry picking! It was really lovely to walk around the back of my parents house down the lane whilst reaching out for all of the blackberries we could find whilst not falling into the ditch or brambles!

My brother’s fiancé had just made blackberry jam so I asked her to share the recipe with me so I could make my own. Having joined the WI this year I also thought it was time to make my very own jam. Especially as my Gran has made jam, and my favourite, blackberry jelly all of my life.

If you would like to make your own it is really simple and took me about an hour. I also made some homemade tags as well for the jam while I was waiting for it to set!

For the tags I was inspired by Amanda at Whit and Whistle as she has started practicing hand lettering practice and has encouraged her readers on her journey as well. You can follow everyone’s progress on her Pinterest page below:

http://pinterest.com/witandwhistle/hand-lettering-practice/

Mine is not up to everyone else’s standard but it was fun for a first attempt for the tags!

I am pleased to say my jam has set and I can’t wait to have lots of toast for breakfast now!

Blackberry jam with a hint of apple

Ingredients:

1lb blackberries

1 medium sized cooking apple

1lb sugar

2 tbsp water

Wash blackberries thoroughly and place in a saucepan. Peel, core and cut the cooking apple into small bits. Add the apple to the pan with the water and simmer for few minutes whilst stirring. Add in the sugar and continue to stir until the sugar has dissolved and it let it bubble.

Then allow the jam to boil and bubble away with out stirring until the fruit is soft and mushy. I did this for approx 25 minutes but was told 15 minutes so judge for yourself on when the fruit is ready. Take it off the heat and allow for it to set.

After 15 minutes test a small amount on a spoon and place in the fridge for ten minutes. If it sets it is ready to go!

Place the rest of the jam in your jars, allow to cool then place in fridge. Make sure jars are run under boiling water or put through a dishwasher to ensure they are sterilized and prevent germs and mold.

Tip: if you go blackberry picking you can freeze the blackberries until you are ready to make the jam as well.