BLACKBERRIES are fantastic fruit for free and the hedgerows are now laden with the annual bounty of little black jewels, packed with antioxidants and a wonderful flavour.
In the Isle of Man we have huge quantities of blackberries just sitting there waiting to be picked each year, and one of the best ways to get the real true flavour is to make blackberry jelly. It doesn’t give you as many jars as blackberry jam, and it takes a bit more time to get to the end result, but it really is worth waiting for. The intensity of flavour with blackberry jelly is just wonderful.
We’ve tried the following recipe and it works a treat. It’s worth making blackberry jam or jelly just for the amazing aroma of the fruit warming in the pan which will fill your kitchen!
INGREDIENTS:
6 lbs Manx blackberries from The Lhen (or anywhere on the Island)
4.5 lbs sugar
METHOD:
• Place the blackberries in a preserving pan and barely cover them with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer slowly for one hour, bruising the blackberries occasionally with a large wooden spoon or potato masher in order to extract the juice.
• Strain through a fine sieve or jelly cloth and allow the juice to drip all night.
• Measure and set aside 3/4 lb sugar for each pint of juice.
• Boil the juice for 15 minutes, then add the sugar and continue the boiling until the jelly will set.
• Pot in the same way as for making jam.
See also . . .
Potting and storing jam and jelly
Manx Apple Jelly
