Blackberry and apple jam recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Jam Jelly and Preserves | 237 comments
It was Anne Mary that pointed out that apple and blackberry jam would be full of blackberry pips.
“They’d get stuck in your teeth and drive you mad. Stick to bramble jelly.”
I love jelly. We make loads of jelly every year. More often than not it is used as a base for a sauce rather than dolloped on a plate of roast lamb or pork.
Imagine my delight when I found this recipe for Blackberry and Apple Jam in my aunt’s ancient handwritten cookbook. As it is sieved there are no seeds and the jam is delicious, spread on hot buttered toast in the morning.
Blackberry and Apple Jam recipe
Ingredients:
- 1k (roughly 2lb) of blackberries
- 350g (12ozs) of apples (eating apples, windfalls are fine)
- Water
- White granulated sugar
Method:
- Core and roughly chop the apples (skin on).
- Put the apples, cores and blackberries in a large preservaing pan or large heavy bottomed saucepan. Add just enough water to cover and simmer until soft.
- Sieve the softened fruit and weigh the sieved pulp (discard the skins and seeds left in the sieve). Add 450g (1lb) of sugar for each 450g (1lb) of sieved pulp.
- Put sieved pulp and sugar into a large heavy bottomed saucepan (or preserving pan) and heat very gently until the sugar has dissolved.
- Bring the jam to the boil and continue to boil very rapidly for about 8-10 minutes until the jam reaches setting point. (What is setting point? See tricks and tips below).
- When the jam has set, carefully pour into warm, sterilised jars, using a ladle or small jug (How to sterilise jars? See tricks and tips below)
- Cover the jars with tight fitting screw-top lids, or waxed disks and cellophane pot covers (waxed disks, wax facing downwards and plastic covers secured with plastic bands).
- Label when cold and store in a cool, dark place, away from damp.
Tricks and Tips:
- Jam “set” or “setting point”:
Getting the right set can be tricky. I have tried using a jam thermometer but find it easier to use the following method. Before you start to make the jam, put a couple of plates in the fridge so that the warm jam can be drizzled onto a cold plate (when we make jam we often forget to return the plate to the fridge between tests, using two plates means that you have a spare cold plate). Return the plate to the fridge to cool for approx two minutes. It has set when you run your finger through it and leave a crinkly track mark. If after two minutes the cooled jam is too liquid, continue to boil the jam, testing it every few minutes until you have the right set. The jam is far more delicious if it is slightly runny. - Sterilising the jars:
We collect jars all year round for our jelly, chutney and jam making sessions. I try to soak off labels and store the clean jars and metal plastic coated screw-top lids in an accessible place. The sterilising method that we used is simple. Just before making the jam, I quickly wash and rinse the jars and place them upside down in a cold oven. Set the temperature to 160c/140c for fan assisted. When the oven has reached the right temperature I turn off the heat. The jars will stay warm for quite a while. I only use plastic lined lids for preserves as the all-metal lids can go rusty. I boil these for five minutes in water to sterilise them. If I use Le Parfait jars, I do the same with the rubber rings.
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Hello Fiona
I’ve never used a juice extractor and have no idea about the pectin content of the juice that they produce!
Keep on boiling. The jelly will set eventually!
Hello,
I’ve made jelly, using the recipe above, but extracting the juice using a juicer-steamer. I used equal volumes of sugar and juice (using sugar with added pectin). I boiled the juice for around 15-20 minutes.
However the jelly has not set. What can I do now? Can I do anything to salvage the jelly? Fiona
hi just a question about sieving the blackberries. l have used them when making rhubarb/blackberry jam which l used blackberries from freezer no pips.
could the ones my husband picked were seedless? anyway is it neccessary to pulp.
Hi Natasha
You can reboil your jam – the method is here https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=514
If you double the quantities is makes the process much harder (getting the right set etc). Why not freeze some blackberries and make jam every now and then when you have more time?
I made your jam yesterday and it has set to thick and isn’t spreadable. Can I reheat with a bit of water and rejar? Also what happens if I double/triple the quantities, I read somewhere (not on your site) that doubling recipe makes it hard to set? I have nearly 200ozs of blackberries to make into jam so it will take ages in single batches!!?
Hello, I made your recipe yesterday and I don’t think it has turned out successful. It has not set. Its more like a spread. I cooked the blackberries & apples until soft and then I used a blender stick to puree the mix, put it through a sieve and measured the pulp/juice. My weight came to 3lbs 14ozs so I added the same in sugar. Boiled it for at least 15mins. Where did I go wrong?
I’ve just made a batch of this jam. I have the cramp in my arms to prove (thanks to the sieving!) But it turned out beautifully in the end. Am waiting for it to cool and then will enjoy tucking in!
PS – I added juice of half a lemon to mine.
i have a large slow cooker. this is excellent for leaving on overnight with apples & blackberries to slowly soften & releasing the pectin, for the jam making the following day.
labour saving & economical on the electricity,as a slow cooker uses up the same amount of electricity as a light bulb.
you do still need to boil it up, my method speeds things up a little
any tips for sieving the fruit? i find it time consuming.
i have tried putting blackberries through my electric juicer, gets rid of the seeds perfectly, you are left with just thick runny pulp. need lots of berries though as part of the pulp is thrown away, though i do put the discarded pulp through the juicer a second time to get out all i can.
works quite well, nice seed free jam.
my tip;
i use powder citric acid if setting is becoming a problem. i use my own judgement on the amount a little at a time [usually 1/4 tsp at a time] cook it up,wait see what happens adding more if needed. i find lemon juice has to be evaporated away to ensure setting,using powder citric acid solves this.
Hi Joanne,
I made the jam a couple of weeks ago, I don’t know how long it lasts, but as for eating it, we ate it straight away and are on our 2nd jar already!
Enjoy!
First attempt at jam making and got the bug. Me and Hubby had a little production line going, really enjoyed it and really sucessful. Thanks for recipe. Anyone any ideas to how long it keeps??? How long until we can eat it???