Basics of Canning Blackberries

Blackberries are very easy to grow and make a healthy snack, delicious desert or great jam or jelly for breads and toast. If you are unable to grow your own they can usually be found in most supermarkets or at farm stands. Blackberries can be frozen for later use or preserved by canning. By basic definition, canning is sealing a fruit, meat or vegetable in a glass jar and heating to prevent spoilage. Some canning must be done by pressure cooking but most fruits and tomatoes don't. Sugar preserving is done by cooking the fruit with large amounts of sugar to prevent bacterial growth. Most canning operations are not difficult but can be quite messy.

Basic canning information is as follows. The hot water bath in the pot or container should be one to two inches over the tops of all jars. Your depth will be determined by the size of the pot and number of jars. It is best to sterilize the jars by boiling them in a hot water bath for ten minutes before use. Jars should be packed to about 1/4 inch from the top or as stated in your recipe. This is what is referred to as head space. A raw or cold pack process is done by placing the raw fruit in the jar and then filling it with boiling syrup, juice or water. A hot pack process is heating the fruit in syrup or water before placing in the jars.

A jelly is made from sweetened and jelled fruit juice with pectin as a jelling agent. Jam is made from crushed or chopped fruit with pectin as the jelling agent. Many recipes will add a touch of lemon juice as an acid. Preserves will have whole chunks of fruit. Packages of pectin will usually have many good recipes and suggestions for a variety of fruit canning.

My favorite recipe is:

2 quarts of blackberries

7 cups of sugar

One package canning gel or pectin, about 1 ¾ ounce

½ tsp. butter or margarine

Crushed and sieve the blackberries to remove any seeds. This should leave about 5 cups of fruit.
Heat the fruit with one package of canning gel or pectin. Mix this on the stove with the butter or margarine. Stir while heating to a full rolling boil. Continue stirring while adding all of the sugar at one time. Continue stirring and bring back to a full boil for one minute. Remove from heat and skim. Pour hot jam into ready jars, seal and invert for five minutes. After 5 minutes turn upright. Allow to cool for one hour and check the seal. A hot water bath processing method may also be used. Recipes are also available for freezer jams if desired. Remember to use caution with hot jars and also remember that blackberries can stain!