Blackberry Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Extract the juice
Put blackberries and water into a preserving pan and boil gently for 1 hour.
Pour the mixture into a coarse jelly bag set between two chairs and let the juice run through without squeezing.
Make the jam
Add ¾ pound of sugar per pint of juice.
Boil together, stirring gently.
Remove scum as it rises.
Increase heat and boil rapidly while stirring to prevent sticking.
Test for stiffness by placing a small amount on a cold plate.
If it shows moderate stiffness, pour into small pots and seal immediately.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Blackberries
- Provide the main fruit flavor, natural pectin and acidity that help the jam thicken.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jam and, with boiling, helps it set to a spreadable texture.
- Water
- Helps the fruit soften and release its juice during the initial gentle boil.
The step that matters
Boil rapidly and test for stiffness. Sugar and fruit acid set only at a high enough concentration, so the jam must reach a gel point. Boiling rapidly while stirring prevents scorching, and the cold-plate test shows whether it has thickened enough before sealing.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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