Blackberries

Gigervamp

How about fruit leathers?

cazj80

I've been picking loads this year - I've made 10 jars of blackberry and apple jam, some blackberry jelly, and have frozen 3kg into portions for the freezer so that I can enjoy them in apple and blackberry crumbles over the winter - using some of the apples that I am going to bottle!

My husband has told me that I am not allowed to pick anymore now as we don't have a great deal of room - :-(

Just need to find something to do with the elderberries that I found the other day!

duckeggblue

Quick things-just add to jelly.
I buy frozen bags of apples from home bargains (about £1.50,ok not old style so much but v convenient),and make apple and blackberry pie,apple and blackberry crumble,If only i could find a recipe for ice cream. I freeze some.And to think,I nearly cut them down,UNTIL i tasted them.The blackberry on the very end of the stalk is always the sweetest.
Have not tried preserving yet.What is blackberry jelly,what do you use it for,and simple tips for a beginner,do you need pectin?

noynoy

my mum gets loads where she grows so we shall do the annual picking day and normally thats enough to last a year for jams, pies crumbles and this year im attempting to make wine..eeek..theres nothing nicer than seeing the kiddie winks with blackberry mouths and walking proudly home with thier bounty, she also has sloes and damnsons and elderberrys , i really miss the countryside

Agapanthus

duckeggblue wrote: »

Have not tried preserving yet.What is blackberry jelly,what do you use it for,and simple tips for a beginner,do you need pectin?

I reckon that blackberry and apple jelly is nicer than jam. The blackberries have a hard core (unlike raspberries) that you get rid of when you strain the jelly. You use it just like jam (though jellies in general also make a great additive to a good gravy - especially for things like pork and duck that go well with something fruity).

Blackberries have very little pectin but apples have loads, so make blackberry and apple and the pectin problem is solved.

There are lots of recipes for this on the internet. Here's one:
http://vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/blackberry-recipe-1.php

The foot of an old pair of tights makes a good jelly bag. Washed, obviously...;)

floyd

Blackberry jelly is also my favourite, it is also delicious in sandwiches with sharp cheddar

I made a batch of blackberry and apple jelly yesterday using the recipe in post #4 and it didn't need any extra pectin or lemon juice just apple, blackberry and regular granulated sugar

I use muslin to strain the juice and scorch it with boiling water from the kettle before using it to line a plastic sieve that I hang over a big tupperware box to catch the drips of juice overnight.

elisamoose

Lookingtothefuture wrote: »

Hello all you MSE! :money:

I am hoping that you will all have some great ideas about what I can do with blackberries.

The playing field where I take my little one to the park is literally bursting at the seams with them, we have today picked our first tub for a crumble for Sunday. We are going to go back tomorrow to pick some more (before the birds eat them all) and I am going to attempt a jar or two of jam.

Any other suggestions/recipes would be gratefully received! Thanks guys! xxx

Was just about to moan that none are ripe in my area ..........and then I saw you are in Lincs too!!!

janetmw

I compromise between jam (with all the pips) and jelly, by following a blackberry and apple recipe, but before adding the sugar, push the mixture through a sieve. It is advisable to use a nylon one so there is no reaction between the fruit juice and metal. If you spend a reasonable time and amount of elbow grease, there is no where near as much 'wastage' as with jelly. The resulting jam still has a bit of texture, but no pips.

HTH

Janet

Lookingtothefuture

elisamoose wrote: »

Was just about to moan that none are ripe in my area ..........and then I saw you are in Lincs too!!!

LOL! yep, south lincs though, closer to Rutland. We have LOADS. Loads ripe enough to pick/ fall off on their own accord, and loads waiting to ripen! It's gonna be a BIG crop this year! :j

Thanks Everyone for their ideas... best get out there picking whilst it's not raining! xx

Seakay

I make Elizabeth David's Thick Blackberry Jelly - very similar to janetmw's idea but without the apple. I sometimes add the juice of a lemon or some citric acid to improve the flavour, but have no problem with setting.
" Stew some blackberries in a very little water until they are quite soft. Put them through a sieve [or mouli/vegetable mill] so that you get all the pulp, but no pips. To each pint of pulp put a pund of sugar and boil until the mixture jellies.
If possible add one or two sweet-scented geranium leaves to the blackberries while they are stewing; these will give them a delicious flavour."

For sweet scented read rose scented or lemon scented.