My friend Sara brought me figs the other day. A little giftie–much appreciated. Not much better to give a woman like me. Since it wasn’t time for figgy pudding, I opted to eat them fresh as they’re pretty rare in Colorado.
Jam
Blackberry Jam or No, My Phone is Still Working
The problem with making jam at home is that it’s no problem.
A regular batch of freezer jam doesn’t even take 45 minutes
and that includes washing/drying containers.
You can have it on toast.
You can put it on waffles.
Try a teaspoonful in your plain yogurt. (Just buy plain yogurt and do this or add a tad of honey.)
You can give it away. Oh, the friends you’ll have.
Even if you do, you’ll have enough jam to last quite a while.
Here’s my jam cooling out on the deck.
I couldn’t do that today because the wind is blowing 70 mph.
So here’s what I did… I followed the directions on the pectin packet. Just for grins, I’ll recount the experience.
Freezer Blackberry Jam ala SureJell Package and Alyce
makes about 7 cups of jam
Wash and dry about 10 c worth of containers. (1 and/or 2 cup–your choice) While you’re only making 7 cups of jam, you’ll need space at the top of each container for expansion. Set aside on a big baking sheet or on counter where they can stay for a day or so.
Wash and pat dry about 3 pints fresh blackberries.
Mash them with a potato masher or put them in the food processor. Leave some partial fruit; don’t completely puree. Measure to make sure you have exactly 3 cups of mashed berries. Eat any left.
Measure into a large bowl exactly 5 1/4 c white sugar. Mix 3 cups measured mashed blackberries into it. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meantime, measure 3/4 c water into a small saucepan and add package of pectin (Surejell). Stir well; it will be lumpy. Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil 1 min. (30 seconds extra at altitude.) Pour into blackberry-sugar mixture and stir for 3-5 minutes continuously until the sugar is completely melted. Taste to make sure no grit remains behind.