When it’s blackberry season I like to have a relaxing walk through the countryside and fill a basket of them, then go home and eat them immediatly or prepare a delicious recipe with wild blackberries. I love blackberries!
The downside of blackberries, like fruits and vegetables, is that they are found only for a short period of time, so you have to find a way to enjoy them throughout the year. Without any doubt, the key to preserve the fruit for a long time is to make a jam with them.
If you want to keep the seeds of blackberries, follow the same instructions ignoring the step of straining. You also get a good jam with seed, but some people find it annoying… Different strokes for different folks…I’m an example because I prefer straining seed leaving some whole blackberries to give consistency.
Ingredients for blackberries jam without seeds:
- 1 kg of blackberries
- 500 gr sugar
- Peel and juice of 1 lemon
- ½ vanilla bean (optional)
- 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
How to make blackberry jam:
Clean the blackberries with water and drain them. Then, put them in a bowl with sugar, lemon juice and lemon peel, mix It well and marinate in the refrigerator some hours (we can even leave it overnight). Blackberries will produce their own juice.
After the steeping time put the berries and the juice in a saucepan to simmer. If you want to bring it an extra flavor, add 1/2 vanilla bean and a cinnamon stick. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
After this time the berries will have been crumbled almost entirely, but It is better crushing them with the mixer. I like to reserve a few tablespoons of crushed berries before, to give consistency to the jam, but it is optional.
Once the blackberries have been crushed use a bouillon strainer to remove all seeds. It is important straining them when the seeds are still hot, because it is easier.
If you have setted aside a few entire blackberries before crushing it, this is the moment to mix them.
Once strained we will evaluate the texture of the jam: If we like it more dense we will leave a few minutes over medium heat to thicken; if we believe it is too dense, add a little water and bring to boil until we get the desired texture.
Taste it and share your foodie experience!