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Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 45 Minutes Servings: 72 |
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August is the busiest month of the year on our small farm—that's when we're harvesting sweet corn, pumpkins and pickling cucumbers for our stand. But I always make time to put up this jelly. The apples come from our old-fashioned orchard, while the blackberries grow wild along our creek...and the jelly's usually gone by January! My husband's a logger as well as a farmer. We have three young children—two daughters, 5 and 3, and a son, 1. Ingredients:
3 pounds blackberries (about 2-1/2 quarts) |
1-1/4 cups water |
7 to 8 medium apples |
additional water |
bottled apple juice, optional |
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice |
8 cups sugar |
2 pouches (3 ounces each) liquid fruit pectin |
Directions:
1. In a Dutch oven, bring blackberries and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Line a strainer with four layers of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Place berry mixture in strainer; cover with edges of cheesecloth. Let stand for 30 minutes or until strained, reserving juice and discarding pulp.
2. Remove and discard stems and blossom ends from apples (do not pare or core); cut into small pieces. Place in the Dutch oven; add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are tender. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, reserving juice and discarding pulp.
3. Measure the reserved blackberry and apple juices; return to the pan. If necessary, add water or bottled apple juice to equal 4 cups. Stir in lemon juice, then sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about 9 half-pints.
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