Blackberry jam has a very pleasant taste and aroma. It is suitable for making pies, cookies, buns. Or you can serve it as a dessert for tea.
Features of preparing blackberry jam
When preparing blackberry jam, a number of features must be taken into account:
- To ensure that the berries in the jam remain intact, the liquid must be stirred gently during cooking. After all, when heated, the fruits become fragile and easily fall apart.
- Blackberries have large, hard seeds. You don't have to remove them, but if you don't like them, you can do this by passing the almost finished berries through a sieve.
- To highlight the taste of blackberries, you can add citrus fruits and spices to the jam. The main condition is to maintain proportions. Otherwise, additional ingredients may interrupt the taste of the berries.
- To preserve the beneficial properties of the fruit, the jam must be cooked over high heat for a short time.
- The berries must be ripe for cooking. If they are green, the jam will be sour.
Blackberry confiture, prepared taking into account the above recommendations, turns out very tasty.
Preparation of raw materials
When choosing and preparing blackberries, you should also follow a number of recommendations:
- When purchasing, you must choose ripe but firm fruits. Brushed berries become very overcooked. They are suitable if you plan to grind them during the cooking process.
- Self-picked berries must be used immediately after picking. Otherwise they will lose some of the juice.
- Before cooking, the berries should be prepared - sorted, removed, and washed well. It is better to soak blackberries in water and carefully drain the water so as not to damage the fruit.
In the process of making jam, the berries can be crushed. But the dish turns out tastier if you prepare it from whole fruits.
How to make blackberry jam
To make blackberry jam, you can use various recipes. Let's look at some of them.
A simple recipe for the winter
To make jam according to this recipe, you need blackberries and sugar in equal proportions (1:1). Sprinkle the berries with granulated sugar. Proceed carefully so as not to damage the fruit. Leave for 30 minutes to allow the mixture to release juice.Cook for 30-40 minutes over medium heat, stirring regularly.
In a slow cooker
Blackberry confiture in a slow cooker turns out more juicy, the berries do not boil over. Into the bowl:
- Add 750 g of fruit.
- Add the same amount of granulated sugar.
- Set to “Stew” mode and cook for 20 minutes.
- After this, leave the jam to cool for 20-30 minutes.
- Then turn on the “Stew” mode again and cook for 40 minutes.
The jam must be stirred regularly to prevent it from burning. The amount of berries and sugar used can be increased. But in this case it is better to cook the dessert with the lid open.
With gelatin
For the recipe you will need:
- 2 kg blackberries;
- 2 kg sugar;
- a packet of gelatin;
- 500 ml water;
- 1 tsp. lemon zest.
Pour gelatin with hot water (use half a glass) and leave to swell for 15 minutes. Pour granulated sugar into the blackberries and leave in the refrigerator overnight. By morning the fruits will release a large amount of juice. Add 500 ml of water and lemon zest to the berries. Transfer to an enamel bowl and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes. Add the swollen gelatin.
The resulting dessert is best stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, but it can also be rolled into jars.
Seedless
Pour 200 ml of water into the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Add 1 kg of blackberries and, stirring regularly, boil the fruits for 2-3 minutes. Place the softened raw material on a sieve and rub with a spoon to remove the seeds. Add 400 g of granulated sugar, put on the stove and simmer the jam until its volume is reduced by 1/3.
With whole berries
Need to:
- 1 kg blackberries;
- 1 kg sugar.
Grind 650 g of blackberries in a blender to obtain a homogeneous puree with seeds. Add 500 g of sugar and place on the stove. Boil for 10 minutes, then add another 350 g of whole berries and 500 g of granulated sugar to the pan.Cook for another 10 minutes. It takes little time to prepare such a dessert, so the beneficial properties of blackberries are preserved.
From frozen blackberries
In winter, jam can be made from frozen blackberries. It does not need to be pre-prepared and can be used immediately after defrosting. Sprinkle 400 g of berries with 250 g of sugar and place in the refrigerator for several hours. Juice should form. Then grind the fruits in a blender and cook for 25 minutes over medium heat.
How to store the finished treat
You can store the jam in jars in the refrigerator for several weeks. But if the taste of the treat changes or its surface becomes moldy, it is not recommended to eat it.
Jam, poured into pasteurized jars, can be stored for 2-3 years in the basement or refrigerator. Another way to store blackberry jam is to pack it in plastic containers and put it in the freezer. But after defrosting, the taste of the treat may change.
