Summer is the time of blackberries in Tuscany. Forests and undergrowth are plenty of these delicious berries to gather and taste. If you wish to enjoy their flavor also during the cold wintertime, preparing a homemade blackberry jam is a fantastic idea.

Blackberries are good to taste fresh with sugar and lemon or in a fruit salad. But probably the best thing to do is prepare the jam following traditional recipes.

I learned this “easy to make” recipe from my mum. When I was a child, my family owned a house in the middle of chestnut wood in the countryside of Sassetta, a really small village on the Etruscan Coast.

I remember that we used to go all together, on Sunday afternoons, across the forest to gather berries. And then with the harvest, I helped my mother and grandma to cook the jam.

Blackberries Tuscany MTIT

There are many ways to use blackberry jam

The homemade blackberry jam is healthy and yummy. Our body, to be healthy, needs a daily dose of fiber. And blackberries are perfect because they contain dietary fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K.

The jam is perfect as an energetic breakfast on toasted bread with butter or as a Merenda snack with low-fat yogurt. And do not forget that you can use it to prepare exquisite fruit tarts or other pastries.

My suggestion, and the way I love the most, is to savor the blackberry jam with homemade Tuscan bread and ricotta cheese. So delicious, I could not stop eating it.

Easy- to-make recipe for a delicious blackberry jam

Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time1 hour
Resting Time12 hours
Total Time15 hours
Course: Breakfast, Desserts, Snack
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Servings: 4 11 oz jars
Author: Nicola Bandini

Ingredients

  • 8 cups fresh blackberries
  • 2.5 cups white caster sugar

Instructions

  • Wash blackberries under running fresh water and dry them well.
  • Put blackberries into a large saucepan on a medium heat and cook for 20/30 minutsp.
  • Stir berries with a wooden spoon and try to crush them as much as you can to obtain a good mix of juice and pulp.
  • Turn off the fire and leave cool down for few minutes.
  • Take a potato masher (with tiny holes is perfect) and little by little, crush the mixture. Try to remove the most of seeds. Take the mixture of juice and pulp, weigh it and put it back into the saucepan.
  • Add the sugar to the mixture: for example if you have 4 cups of mixture (2 Lb. /1kg), adds 2.5 cups of sugar (1 Lb. / 0,5 kg).
  • Place the saucepan on a high heat, bringing the fruit mixture to a full rolling boil (you see bubbles). Then reduce to medium heat and cook for about 60 minutes, sometimes stirring with the wooden spoon, until the mixture become thick.
  • In the meantime, wash the jars, lids and bands (brand new or old ones) in hot water. Rinse well.
  • Sterilize them following this process.Take a large pot and cover the bottom with a towel. Put the jars and water inside the pot and boil for 10 minutes. Then, turn off the burner and leave cool down. Carefully remove the jars from the pot, shake out the excess water, and transfer upside down to a clean kitchen towel.
  • Once the jam is ready, pour it still warm into warm jars (they must not be cold to avoid to break. In case of need, warm them a little into the oven before the use). Close the jars and set them upright to rest for about 12 hours before to use it.

Notes

To understand if the jam is ready is, put a small quantity on a dish, tilt it, and see if the jam slides. If it slides slowly and has good compactness, the jam is ready for jars.
Store in a cool, dry place for a maximum of 1/2 years. Once opened, store it in the fridge and consume within 3/4 days.

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2 thoughts on “How to Prepare a Luscious Blackberry Jam

  1. Jordan Ring says:

    I personally love blackberries. I think they are one of the best berries you can find actually, and they make for a great sauce mixture. I like the idea to use the jam on a pastry, as that sounds incredible!

    • Edoardo says:

      Hey Jordan, thank you for your post!
      Irony of fate, while I saw your comment, I was eating a slice of bread with blackberries jam made by Nicola (he is really good on preparing it!) Have you any nice recipe for jam to share with us?

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