Blackberry (Jam)

These are the blackberries I picked today to make my (in)famous Bramble Jam.

Every year since I've lived in Norfolk I've promised to make Bramble Jam, inspired by the amount of blackberries that line the back lane near my house. And today, ten years after moving here, I finally picked enough blackberries to make what I expect will be a modest amount of jam. I'm anticipating two jars.

I picked a small bowl of blackberries from the bush at the bottom of my shared driveway. We share a driveway with our next door neighbours, and last week I saw my neighbour picking some blackberries. So this week my neighbours are on holiday and the blackberries are all mine. Unfortunately there weren't enough, but luck was on my side when I was driving back from my mechanic's today. The country lane was FULL of blackberries. I parked up and snaffled as many as would fit into my hastily-constructed paper tray.

So tomorrow I will buy sugar pectin (or jam-making sugar) and make up a small batch. I don't eat much jam anyway so a couple of jars will be plenty. Perhaps I'll give the second jar to a lucky friend or relative.

My first port of call for a recipe was Mrs Beeton's, but she only had a recipe for blackberry and apple jam. After a bit of research online I realised it's because blackberries are low in natural pectin, so adding the apples helps the jam set. Hence the need to buy sugar pectin.

PICS TO FOLLOW TOMORROW!!!