Quick Blackberry Blueberry Jam Food

BLACKBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place the berries in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, mashing the berries with a potato masher as they cook. Add the lemon juice and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring and mashing constantly.
• Add the sugar and return the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and test for doneness: a candy thermometer should register 220 degrees F and the mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Run a finger--or a clean object about the width of a finger--through the coat of jam. If the jam does not run and fill the gap, it is done. Otherwise, return the pan to the heat for another 1 to 2 minutes and test again. Be careful not to let the mixture get too thick--it will thicken as it cools.
• When the jam is done, transfer it to a heatproof jar and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. The jam will keep for up to 2 weeks.

BLUEBERRY-BLACKBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Inspect 8 half-pint jars for cracks and rings for rust; discard any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until jam is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Toast the almonds in an ungreased skillet until lightly colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Place crushed blueberries and blackberries in a large pot and add pectin. Slowly bring to a full rolling boil. Add sugar and lemon juice and stir to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim off any foam with a ladle or a large spoon.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in gin and toasted almonds.
• Ladle jam immediately into the prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any spills. Top with lids and tightly screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart. Let rest for 24 hours without moving the jars. Gently press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.

BLACKBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Mash blackberries in a saucepan with a potato masher. Stir in sugar until juices form; place about 1 tablespoon blackberry juice in a small bowl and stir in cornstarch. Pour cornstarch mixture into saucepan.
• Bring berries to a boil, stirring often, until jam is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and allspice. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer jam to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until chilled. Stir in lemon juice.

BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Put a plate in the freezer for you to test your jam is set later. Sterilise two 500ml jam jars so they are ready to use.
• Put the blueberries, sugar, vanilla and lemon in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Crush the blueberries a little with a potato masher. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 mins. Skim off any skum that has formed on the top with a spoon and discard.
• Test the jam is set by spooning a mound on to your cooled plate. Put in to the fridge for 3 mins. If the jam forms a skin and ripples when you push it with your finger, it's ready. If not, return to the heat for 5 more mins then repeat the test. Do this until you reach setting point.
• Leave the jam to sit for 10 mins off the heat. Ladle into your warm, sterilised jars and seal the lids on top. Leave to cool completely. Will keep for six months unopened in a cool, dry place, or two weeks once opened in the fridge.

EASY SMALL-BATCH BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Mix blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thickened, about 30 minutes.

BERRY JAM

Steps:

• Toss berries and sugar together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Let sit for at least 15 minutes and up to overnight, periodically tossing to coat and to dissolve the sugar. (This will help coax the juices out of the fruit.)
• Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill. (You'll use this later.)
• Bring the fruit to a strong simmer over medium heat until the berries burst and the juices start to boil, about 15 minutes. If using a vanilla bean as an add-in, put it in the pot at this point.
• Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the jam, at first stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula, then more frequently as the juices thicken. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit has begun to break down, 40 to 50 minutes. How much it breaks down will depend on its type and ripeness: For example, strawberries are likely to retain more of their shape, while raspberries will break down almost entirely.
• As the jam cooks, the liquid will reduce, the sugars thicken and the natural pectins activate. You'll notice the liquid go from a rapid, rolling boil with smaller bubbles to a slow, thick, tarlike boil with larger bubbles: This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking. (Sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate there, increasing the chance that the fruit will burn.) It's also the stage at which splattering may occur, so take care in stirring.
• Once the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam returns to its earlier consistency, about another 5 minutes. To test the consistency, spoon a bit of jam onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there yet, cook a few minutes more. (Note: Some fruit, like strawberries, contain more water and less natural pectin than say, a raspberry. This means the jam will never be quite as thick or gelled, but it will still be delicious).
• Remove from heat, and incorporate any of the add-ins listed (see notes). Pick out vanilla bean if you added it earlier. Divide jam between several 8-ounce canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space, and seal immediately. Can the jams (see our How to Make Jam guide for more instruction), or store in the refrigerator, using them within a couple of weeks.

BLACKBERRY JAM

Steps:

• The night before you make your jam, layer the blackberries and sugar together in a very large bowl, then cover and set aside at room temperature. This helps the sugar to start dissolving so you don't run the risk of over-cooking the fruit when you actually begin to make the jam. The next morning, give everything a quick stir, then set aside again until you are ready to start cooking.
• Before you start, put a small saucer in the freezer. Take a preserving pan or a large, wide-based pan (the wider and more open the pan, the faster the jam will be ready, so a preserving pan is really ideal) and tip the berries in, scraping out all the juices and any undissolved sugar. Stir in the lemon juice, then collect all the pips and secure them inside a tea-leaf strainer or piece of muslin before adding them to the pan (cooking the pips along with the fruit extracts the pectin they contain, helping your jam to set).
• Start the blackberries over a low heat until all the sugar is completely dissolved, then bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and spoon a little hot syrupy jam onto the chilled saucer. Once it's cool, push it with your finger. If it wrinkles a little, it's ready and has reached setting point. If it's too runny to wrinkle, return the pan to the heat and boil in 2 or 3-minute stages, removing the pan from the heat each time you do the saucer check, until the jam wrinkles.
• Skim off any excess scum, then stir in the knob of butter, if you want - this will help to dissolve any remaining scum. Leave the jam for 15 mins before ladling into sterilised jars - this allows the fruit to settle so it doesn't sink to the bottom. The jam will keep in a cool, dark place for at least 6 months. Refrigerate jars once opened.