Blackberry Jam

There’s nothing better than handpicked, naturally organic fruit, am I right?! When visiting my oldest girl in the Pacific Northwest, we picked a ton of ripe, tasty blackberries. And what better way to preserve them (and much easier to fly home with) than to make some freezer jam.

I believe that freezer jam (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, peach, etc) is much prettier and fresher tasting than using the canning (cooking) method, and so simple.

You might want to wear gloves…

Pick your berries, rinse in cold water and set aside to drip dry. Make sure you have clean jars. For freezer jam, you do NOT need new jars and lids. You can reuse any of your old jars from jam, jelly, pickle relish, etc.

For one batch, you will need:
4 pint size jars or 8 half-pint jars or a combination of each.
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups berries
4 Tbsp. Real Fruit instant pectin

Start by smashing the berries in a shallow pan. I use an old potato masher. Do NOT puree your fruit or it won’t set up firmly for jam. Set the berries aside and stir the sugar and pectin together in a separate bowl. Combine them together and stir gently in the bowl for 3 minutes. I would set a timer because this is important to get the jam the right consistency. You have no idea how LONG 3 minutes is until you are standing at the counter stirring…
Once the timer buzzes, you can pour the mixture into your CLEAN jars. Make sure to leave a little space between the top of your jam and the lid, since it’s going in the freezer and will expand a smidge. Let the jars sit out on your counter for about 30 minutes before placing in the freezer. I usually put one jar in the fridge for immediate consumption and the rest can go in the freezer for you to enjoy 6 months from now!

Now slather this on a fresh biscuit and enjoy!