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I love this time of year when the hedgerows are beginning to fill up with wild blackberries. We grow our own in our garden as well. This is the perfect time of year to make beautiful jams and baked treas with all of the bounty. Cooking apples are coming into their own as well. Combining the two into a fabulously tasty jam just makes sense.
We grow some really lovely cooking apples here in the UK. They are called Bramley Apples and they are the UK’s favourite cooking apple. Large, flattish, green in appearance, sometimes with a bit of a red flush, its flesh is white, juicy and quite acidic which makes them perfect for cooking with. They turn into a frothy pulp when cooked, which makes them perfect for pies, cakes, applesauce and jams.
They go very well with blackberries, and you will often see them combined in pies and cakes, trifles, and other desserts/puddings here in the UK. I think nature is so wonderful. Ofttimes you will find that fruits and vegetables which naturally have a great flavour affinity for being combined with each other happen to ripen at the same time.
I only made half the recipe today as there are only two of us in this house and one of us isn’t supposed to eat jam. I also have to apologise for my lack of jars. I have found myself in the unfortunate position of not having any empty jars, so a leftover takeaway tray has had to suffice.
I know you will forgive me for such a poor presentation, especially if you make this jam and then taste how delicious it is!
Oh, I had great plans in my head for how I was going to show this to you, but alas . . . even the best of plans go astray!
Don’t let my failing in presentation put you off from making this delicious jam! It truly is fabulous, and such an easy make.
Just equal quantities of cooking apple and blackberries. Make sure you pick and clean the blackberries well. If you are using wild ones, soak them for a bit in salt water to draw any worms.grubs out. Just fill a large bowl with tepid water and add two heaped TBS of salt. Carefully dump in the berries and then let them sit for about 10 minutes or so. Swish them around for a bit to draw out any stubborn ones.
The grubs will die and float to the top. You may not find any, but it is worth the extra effort to flush them out. Discard, drain the berries and then continue with the recipe. You will want to do this about an hour prior to starting your jam.
Jam sugar is a type of sugar which has had pectin added to it to aid in the quick setting up of jams and the preservation of their colour. I believe in North America it is called Gelling Sugar. Essentially it is sugar with pectin and citric acid added.
Without it you would have to boil your fruit for a much longer time in order for it to set properly. It is doable, but using jam sugar shortens the cook time immensely, and ensures a perfect finish.
As you can see this is lovely and thick, and Todd says it is really delicious!
I had huge plans to bake some fresh scones to showcase it as well, but I spent most of today upgrading my phone so you will have to make do with buttered toast . . .
I actually made the jam yesterday . . . it is lovely and thick today . . .
Perfect. Not too sweet and just a bit tart from the cooking apples . . .
Toast and jam is one of my favourite things, or at least it used to be before I became a Diabetic. Now it is just a delicious dream, and a once in a blue moon tiny taste.
Apple & Blackberry Jam
Yield: Makes 6 (1 cup/240ml) jars
Author: Marie Rayner
This is the best time of the year for making this delicious jam. with local cooking apples ready for the picking and the hedgerows filling up with wild blackberries. Its a lovely time of year.
ingredients:
500g fresh blackberries (a generous pound)
500g cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (a generous pound)
100ml water (3 1/2 ounces)
the juice of one small lemon
1 KG jam sugar (5 1/4 cups)
instructions:How to cook Apple & Blackberry Jam
Put the blackberries, apples, water and lemon juice into a large saucepan or preserving kettle over medium heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, then add the sugar. Bring back to the boil and then boil, stirring for 10 minutes, until the sugar is well dissolved and the jam holds its shape when spooned onto a cold plate. Spoon into clean and sterile jars and seal according to the manufacturers instructions. Store in a cool dark place. Refrigerate once opened.
I’ve been meaning to ask you. What do you think of me letting you know on Sundays about my planned recipes for the week? I thought that if I did that then you could make sure you had in the main ingredients you might need to make them. Or would you rather it be a big surprise? It also helps me in the planning of my week as well. Do tell as I really value your opinion. This page is as much yours as it is mine!
Up tomorrow: Hearty Tomato & Bean Soup
Debunking the myths of English Cookery, one recipe at a time. The English Kitchen http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/
