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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My husband and I just spent the afternoon on the Hackney Marshes picking and this evening we (ok, mostly he) have just made jam from your recipe- it has set and tastes beautiful! We added just a bit of lemon juice as well, and can wait to eat it! (literally, as we have just had some…) Thank you!
I made this jam today too – so quick to make, I was stunned! I did 3 batches in one go (got 28 190ml jars from 3kg blackberries which I am most pleased with) in seperate pans – 1 set, the other 2 did set but stayed a little runny (more water in those I think) which I think is ok. Anyway it’s delicious both ways!
Next, belgian pears, pear and lemon jam, and soon, rosehip and apple – I really can’t wait,
Thank you,
Trish
Made this jam today, it is absolutly beatiful thankyou so much for the recipe !!
Regards
vicky
I have just made my first batch of the year from this season’s glut of blackberries, and used some apples from an abandoned orchard.
Great colour, texture and flavour, I did however use 25%less sugar than the recipe, to keep that tangy fruity flavour – excellent!
Hello – thank you so much for replying so quickly, I will use normal sugar, looking forward to doing this tonight.
One more thing – could I use pears for apples, would it still work? I found a pear tree, although I dont think the pears I picked are fully ripe, they are quite hard (I don’t know what wild pears are meant to be like though!)
Thanks!
Trish
Hi Michelle
I soak my blackberries in a mild saline solution to kill any bugs and then rinse them thoroughly and freeze. I wouldn’t worry about them being wet or dry.
Hi Joanne
How big were the jars? I would expect to get about five medium sized jars from this recipe.
Hi, I am a jam making virgin and made my first batch this weekend using your recipe, it made 3 jars is that about right or should I have worked the pulp more! or perhaps I boiled too long! Jo
I am a novice jam maker (well,never made it before actually!), but here in Cornwall the glut of blackberries has tempted me to already make crumble, ice-cream and we’ve picked 2lb again today so I’d like to make Jam. However, the ‘mold’ issues worry me a little – I’d ideally like to freeze the berries and make the jam nearer Christmas for presents from my son to family. A silly question, but I’m not sure – should I was the berries before I freeze them, or after they’ve defrosted??? I’m sure I should wash them before, but should they be thoroughly dried before freezing????Does any liquid cause problems when they are frozen?? I cook savoury dishes very well, but when it comes to desserts/jams I can be clueless!!! Thanks!!! Lovely reading by the way!
Hi Trish
I’ve not made more jam from the pulp and seeds so can’t help you on that front.
You can use preserving sugar but this can give the jam a nasty taste. It will set if you use ordinary granulated sugar. Just make sure that you only just cover the fruit with water during the first stage and simmer it gently.
Also – can I use preserving suger – willit still work? I used preserving sugar last year and I’m worried that if I use normal sugar it wont set?
Thanks again!
Trish