blackberry picking

Sarahsaver

Kazonline wrote:

Boiled blackberries are now 'strained' - the juice is for the jelly, but can I use the pulp in a crumble?..... more to the point - would the pulp be NICE in a crumble? Seems a waste to throw it!
Kaz x

Or a face pack if you want to look a bit pink LOL;)

nabowla

I recently bought a wonderful 1920s cookbook full of jam recipes. One of the blackberry jam recipes has me puzzled though. It says:

"Allow half a pound of good brown sugar to every pound of fruit; boil the whole together gently for one hour, or till the blackberries are soft, stirring and mashing them well."

That's the entire set of instructions! I know a bit about preparing jars (good clean in dishwasher, gently warmed in oven, then warm jam into warm jars). What I'm puzzled about is whether the jam will set without any pectin or other setting ingredients. Has anyone got any ideas? Also, I can't remember whether the lids go on when everything's warm or after the jars have cooled completely. Any help/advice/additional instructions gratefully received!

Kazonline

Sarahsaver wrote:

Or a face pack if you want to look a bit pink LOL;)

Could do with a bit of colour TBH

Nabwola - sorry, haven't a clue, I'm a complete novice and would like to know those answers myself!

Leonie - I read somewhere on here the other day that you can freeze if you've not got enough and keep addiing 'til you've plenty, so I guess the answer to 'can you freeze the excess' would be yes. Sorry, but forgot where exactly I read it, and now can't find it!:rolleyes:
Kaz x

Or should that be folowing my face pack ala Sarahsaver :rotfl:

thriftlady_2

Nabowla my Good Housekeeping Complete Book of Preserving has a useful table of pectin content of different fruits. Blackberries as you can see are reasonably high in pectin and so you don't need any extra unless you're after a 'stiff' jam. It's been along time since I bought jam, but from what I remember it is pretty stiff. I like jams and jellies to be softish. Not so soft they run everywhere but about the consistency of, say, a mashed bananat:D Any way here's that list.

Pectin content of fruit

Good
cooking apples
crab apples
currants (red and black)
damsons
gooseberries
lemons
limes
seville oranges (for marmalade)
plums (some varieties)
quinces

These fruits will not need any pectin at all added, you can also add them to fruits low in pectin.

Medium

Eating apples
apricots
bilberries
blackberries
greengages
loganberries
mulberries
plums
raspberries

Unripe fruit has more pectin, so if you use a proportion of unripe berries in your blackberry jam you should get a better set.

Low

Bananas
cherries
elderberries
figs
grapes
japonicas
medlars
melons
nectarines
peaches
pineapple
rhubarb
strawberries

HTH;)

I put lids on jars as soon as I've potted my jam and tighten them when cool.

nabowla

That's a fantastic list - I think I'll have to print it out and keep it for future reference. Off now to make jam!

Kantankrus_Mare

I took on an allotment earlier this year and the blackberries or brambles as I like to call them, are everywhere!!

I made wine last year but this year wanted to make as much as possible to carry me through the cold winter months.

Ive got 6 demi-johns on the go and a five gallon bucket awaiting the sugar to be added.:j

Ive frozen some and am hoping relatives can give me freezer space so I have plenty to go at for when the fruit is no longer avaiable.

Call me greedy if you like but no-one else seems bothered with them down the allotment and the wine is to die for.

Just hope Ill have some left for myself after Ive given out to everyone ive promised a bottle to :rolleyes:

Icemaiden

KANTANKRUS MAREWould love the instructions on how to make your Blackberrie wine!:j I was only thinking about trying to make it whilst picking this aft.

Kantankrus_Mare

Three and a half pound of blackberries
half pint red grape juice concentrate
two pound sugar
6 pints boiling water
one tea spoon citric acid
half teaspoon tannin
1 teaspoon pectic enzyme
1 teaspoon yeast nutrient
burgundy yeast

Method:

1. Wash, drain and crush the blackberries. Pour on 6 pints of boiling water and when cooled, add the acid, tannin,pectic enzyme, red juice concentrate,nutrient and yeast.

2. Ferment for 5 days, covered somewhere warm.
Stir in the disolved sugar (pour on boiling water and boil till dissolved)

Pour into demi john, top up with cold water.

Fit an air lock and allow to ferment untill less than one bubble per 60 seconds is going through.

Transfer to clean demi jar and add two crushed campden tablets.


Sounds complicated I know but worth it I can assure you.

All the ingredients and stuff you need can be got from a homebrew shop.

Make sure fermenting jar, demi john and bottles are thoroughly sterilised though!!

Happy brewing;)

Kazonline

Cor - cheers for that.... I think I know how to revive my DS1's (age 16)interest in picking the blackberries....
Lol, in fairness to him he doesn't drink (I think!) and he even wanted to stay up and watch the last bit of the jelly making!!!
He did disappear come wash up time... - ok, after licking things clean and putting to soak

rubytuesday

nabowla wrote:

I recently bought a wonderful 1920s cookbook full of jam recipes. One of the blackberry jam recipes has me puzzled though. It says:

"

What I'm puzzled about is whether the jam will set without any pectin or other setting ingredients. Has anyone got any ideas?

It depends what fruit you are using some eg apples are high blackberries,elderberries quite lw strawberies very low I think you can use lemon juice to help setting.