Agreed there’s nothing like Knott’s Berry Farm Blackberry Jelly – with one exception – completely homemade blackberry jelly.
Oh yes – from now on instead of letting any extra blackberries go to waste or if you buy in bulk, it feels so good to utilize every dollar you’ve spent and every bit of food that can be stretched to feed your family in the most cost-efficient way. Not only are we going to discuss how to make the blackberry juice into jam – we are going to learn to can it to last. *We recommend wheat toast spread with your homemade jam and a splash of cinnamon and sugar. Oh – and it pairs perfectly with a vanilla latte to complete your breakfast on the go – just saying!
You’ll Need:
5 cups fresh blackberries
4 ½ cups sugar
1 package of fruit pectin
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
1 small funnel
Prep and Directions:
Once your berries are washed, find your best big pot. Pour the berries in and cover berries with water – just ensure berries are covered. Bring this to a boil (usually about 10 mins) until the berries are soft.
We suggest prepping another container that can hold hot fluids and covering it with cheesecloth or a very fine mesh strainer. Pour softened berries over cheesecloth or strainer until you can’t get any further liquid out. You may want to use a utensil to push down slightly on the berries to get out as much juice as possible. You may discard juiced berries.
Your goal is to get around 3 ½ cups of just juice. You may want to add little bits of water at a time if necessary. Pour this juice into an empty pot and stir in the packet of pectin. Keep stirring until mixture comes to a boil and add the sugar and finely chopped mint leaves. Keep stirring and continue to let boil for ONE MINUTE. Remove from heat immediately.
Removing any foam sitting on top right away is key. Go ahead and use a utensil to swipe off excess foam into a separate bowl and discard.
Your mixture is done! This all should take less than ten minutes. Now, let’s can!
We suggest buying a set of jars like these that can take the heat and later can become cold whether in the refrigerator or the freezer.
Line up your jars and begin to pour your mixture through a funnel directly into the jar, leaving half an inch of room at the top for expansion.
Cover the jar tightly, and let the jam sit out to solidify into jelly for a few hours to even a few days. No harm done! When you feel the consistency is of your liking, feel free to go ahead and use, refrigerate or freeze for a winter day!
Note: If you find your jelly isn’t set after this period, we suggest following these steps to experiment.
