Blackberry Jam: 11 Cooking Recipes

In river floodplains, on sunny clearings in mixed and deciduous forests, there are climbing shrubs with large, heavy blue-gray berries. They form real thickets through which it is very difficult to get through. Connoisseurs of the gifts of nature are looking forward to August to begin collecting blackberries. Fragrant wild berry, very similar to raspberries, but with its own unique aroma, was cultivated and is now grown in many country and home gardens. Various delicacies are prepared from it, dried, frozen for the winter, and breathtakingly delicious jam is cooked.

Blackberry secrets

Fruits, leaves, young shoots are useful in the plant. It is used in cooking, cosmetology, traditional medicine. A shrub far spreads weaving shoots. Basically, it spreads almost on the ground. If it is not cut, the bush quickly grows to a diameter of 2–4 m. It takes root very easily. It is enough to press a twig to the ground, lightly sprinkle it with soil or sand. After 2-3 weeks, an autonomous plant will already be obtained, which can be cut off from the mother and transferred to a new place.

For a long time, people waited for the forest blackberry to ripen and harvested it in natural conditions. Breeders became interested in the plant and in the 19th century they bred the first garden varieties.

Interesting: non-studded varieties were obtained over time.

The initial species are only 3:

1. Rosewood or blackberry gray creeps on the ground, easily tolerates frosts down to -20, gives an abundant crop of large juicy berries up to 15 kg from one bush.
2. Kumanika is more unpretentious to growing conditions, frost-resistant, characterized by tall, up to 2 m, erect stems with drooping crown, berries are smaller, but with the same huge set of nutrients, taken as the basis for many hybrid varieties.
3. Semi-spreading blackberry is an intermediate species, on a direct basis there are strongly drooping branches with dark red or black berries; it is not inferior to other species in taste and health benefits.

About 300 varieties of garden blackberries were created on their basis, many of them are acclimatized for the middle zone and northern regions. In all varieties, only shoots of the second year bear fruit, which makes them similar to raspberries. The similarity ends here, although both plants are very valuable from a culinary point of view and are widely used in traditional medicine recipes.

Most often in summer cottages planted:

• Doyle
• Ruben;
• Thornfrey;
• Avagam;
• Apaches
• Black satin.

The composition and calorie content of blackberries

Cultivated varieties and wild berries differ significantly in appearance, but the ratio of components is approximately the same. In the composition of:

• organic acids;
• saccharides;
• alimentary fiber;
• vitamins PP, E, C, A, K, group B;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• zinc;
• sodium;
• tannins;
• phenols;
• pectin;
• anthocyanin.

Calorie content is 31 kcal per 100 g of berries. They are recommended to be included in the diet to improve blood composition, increase concentration and memory. Blackberry enhances immunity and speeds up metabolism. A small portion of fresh berries or a decoction of dried fruits and leaves stimulates the production and circulation of bile.

Not everyone can eat fresh blackberries, as sour tones predominate in the taste, but if jam is made from it, it is simply impossible to resist.

What is useful blackberry jam

Fresh berry is much more useful than any harvest, but its appearance is tied to the season, and a jar of jam can be removed from the pantry at any time. The main thing is that she be there. The presence of sugar in any recipe immediately puts a restriction on the product for diabetics.In other cases, a few spoons of goodies act as an antidepressant, increase immunity, normalize bowel function, stimulate peristalsis, accelerate a decrease in temperature and alleviate the symptoms of a cold. Vitamins and trace elements during heat treatment are partially destroyed, but the remaining amount supports the work of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

The richest in vitamin terms is grated mashed fresh berries with sugar and five-minute jam. The remaining species will serve more moral satisfaction from the refined taste and incomparable aroma.

How to choose a blackberry for jam

For the preparation of any goodies, the quality of the raw material comes to the fore. From unripe or already spoiled berries, you can’t get a tasty dish. If you take your own harvest for jam, then just wait for the moment when the berries are fully ripe, remove them and cook on the same day, without overexposing them in the refrigerator. The advantages of a personal site is that you can shoot them in small portions, as they mature and also stock up a little, trying various recipes in search of the most delicious.

If the calculation is made on a purchased product, then it is worth going to any market or bazaar where farm products and surpluses from household plots are traded. There sellers themselves are summer residents themselves. There is a chance to buy the highest quality product, local, not burdened by a huge amount of fertilizer. Berry brought from other countries is not advisable to buy. For safety during transportation, it undergoes specialized processing and removes it unripe so that it does not deteriorate on the road.

When choosing, you need to pay attention to the degree of ripeness of the berries, they must be dry, not deformed.

It is worth considering: large berries are usually juicier and sweeter, but not always, it all depends on the variety. It is best to try them before you buy and evaluate the taste in person. Criterias of choice:

1. Freshness is determined visually and by smell.
2. The ripeness of the berries is confirmed by their dark color and uniform color without bright spots.
3. In the container with berries should not be leaves and other plant fragments, pests and their traces.

It is better to opt for smooth, large, gray-black berries with a characteristic, slightly tart flavor. Traces of decay, mold, mechanical damage - a reason to refuse to purchase.

How to cook blackberry jam: recipes

It is difficult to refrain from taking a sample of a just cooked dish. It is worth giving yourself a little indulgence and enjoy the taste. The rest will go to winter storage. The berry is quite acidic, not prone to strong fermentation. The cooking time for cooking should be kept to a minimum so that the berries remain intact and most of the vitamins are preserved.

Classic recipe

For 1.5 kg of berries, take 1 kg of sugar. The ingredients are laid in a pan in layers, covered with a towel and left overnight. Until morning, sugar should be mixed with juice. Ripe fruits have enough, so no water is added. Jam is boiled in 3 sets of 10 minutes with a cooling period. After the last approach, he is rolled up in sterilized dry cans.

With whole berries

The structure of the blackberry is denser than that of raspberries. It is much more resistant to boiling. But in order to maintain the attractiveness of the fruit, you have to go a longer way. First, the berries in sugar are left until the juice is obtained for 12 hours, while half the norm of sugar is covered with a ratio of 1.5: 1 with berries. Then the liquid is drained, 100 ml of water are added, the rest is granulated sugar and the syrup is boiled for 5 minutes. They pour the berries, leave the pan for 3 hours to rest. Then the procedure with boiling syrup and pouring berries is repeated again.With the latter approach, the whole mixture is cooked for 10 minutes, stirring continuously and removing the foam if it appears. Ready jam is poured into small jars. It is most convenient to take containers of 0.25–0.5 liters.

Five minute

The recipe allows you to save maximum nutrients. It is brewed quickly, but preliminary preparation is required. There are no third-party ingredients, only berries and sugar in a 1: 1 ratio. The mixture is left to stand for several hours. When a sufficient amount of juice appears, the mass is brought to a boil, boiled for 5 minutes with constant stirring and poured into cans in boiling form, hermetically sealed.

Important: the workpiece will have to be stored in a cool cellar or in the refrigerator. In a warm place, it can go bad.

From frozen blackberry

If in summer the harvest was plentiful and the berries were simply frozen, then they do not lose their taste and aroma at all. It’s very easy to make tender jam from them, despite the season. It will take 1 kg of sugar for the same number of berries. They need to be covered with sugar without thawing, but not mixed, but simply left for 2-3 hours. During this time, the berries will thaw, juice will appear, and you can begin to prepare goodies.

On medium heat, the mass is brought to a boil, then boiled for 5 minutes and turned off. For intensity of taste, 2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice are allowed to be added immediately after boiling. Then the mass is laid out in jars and covered with lids or wax paper. Store in a cool place.

With apples

The magnificent combination of blackberry astringency with apple tenderness gives an amazing taste. Ingredients:

• blackberry - 1 cup;
• apples - 7 pieces of medium size;
• sugar - 350 g;
• citric acid - 1/2 tsp

The apples are peeled, cut into small cubes and steamed in a saucepan with sugar and 200 ml of water for 20 minutes. Then lay the berries on top, mix gently and cook for another 10 minutes. You do not need to keep on the stove longer, otherwise the blackberry will lose its shape. The finished treat is laid out in jars. Such a treat will appeal to children; it is tender with a barely noticeable acidity.

With lemon

Citrus fruits give saturation to the aroma, but it is very important to observe the measure, otherwise the jam will turn out acidic despite a large amount of sugar. It will take no more than half a large lemon per 600 g of blackberries and the same amount of sugar. Citrus is rubbed with zest on a coarse grater and immediately mixed with the rest of the ingredients. They start heating gradually, with a little power. You will have to stir continuously, otherwise the mixture will burn or run over the edge. Readiness comes in 10 minutes. Then the jam is packaged in jars and covered with lids.

With orange

Here, in cooking, you can use just juice, orange with or without zest, cut the flesh into rings or cubes. Provides full scope for imagination. Proportions:

• blackberry - 1 kg;
• sugar - 1 kg;
• large orange - 3 pcs.

It is not necessary to cook the mass for a long time. So that she gives juice, they pre-stand it. Cut the orange or squeeze juice out of it, mix it with berries and fill it with sugar. The exposure time is 3 hours. The pan is put on slow heating until sugar is completely dissolved. After boiling, they detect 10 minutes, and the dish can be considered ready. It remains only to distribute it among the banks, leaving a little in a smart vase for evening tea drinking.

With nuts

The basis is the classic recipe with the proportions of berries and sugar 1: 1. Before cooking, add 1 cup peeled and chopped walnuts. Cooking time - 30 minutes, divided into 3 sets.

In a slow cooker

An equal amount of sugar and berries are loaded into the bowl. Put out the extinguishing mode with a delay of start for 1 hour. During this time, juice will stand out, and sugar will partially dissolve. The steam outlet valve is turned outward.After cooking, the mass is left for another 20 minutes to rest with the lid open. During this time, it will slightly thicken and will be easily transferred to banks.

With raspberries

Despite the similarities in the structure of berries, their tastes vary greatly, which gives a great effect when combined in one recipe. Berries are taken in equal proportions, 500 g per 1 kg of sugar. Stand for 2 hours to obtain juice and cook according to the classic recipe, alternating 3 approaches with periods of cooling. The total boiling time should be 30 minutes. It will turn out a very delicious dessert, it can be used to impregnate biscuit cakes.

With banana

The original taste and interesting appearance when combining berries with exotic fruit are guaranteed. First cook the usual blackberry jam. Banana cubes are added 5 minutes before the end of cooking. The blackberries are pre-filled with sugar for 2 hours, and then carefully brought to a boil. Stir the mass with a narrow wooden spatula. She does not crush berries and raises sugar well from the bottom of the pan. The finished dessert is transferred to small jars, hermetically closed and cleaned in a cool place for winter storage.

Interesting Blackberry Facts

1. The name is given for a large number of thorns on the branches, for which it was called the "hedgehog berry."
2. In Europe, the plant is considered decorative, and in the United States - industrial and berries are grown for export.
3. The healing properties of fruits and leaves are mentioned in the writings of the ancient healer Dioscorides.
4. Fresh berries and juice quench your thirst, relieve heat.
5. Blackberry accelerates thought processes, has a calming effect.
6. Flowering bushes attract bees, and honey is considered healing.
7. In ancient times, juice was used to dye fabrics.
8. Garden blackberries tolerate drought and bear fruit even under adverse conditions.

A jar of goodies will be a great addition to family tea drinking. Blackberry jam will strengthen the body, cheer up and with its bright aroma will remind you of a generous summer.

Photo of blackberry jam