Cooked Blackberry Jam

When I was a kid, my family occasionally went to Cracker Barrel Restaurant for family dinners out.  It was our favorite place for a couple reasons, one being the family-friendly atmosphere, and another the simple, down-home country cooking present on their menu as standard fare.  

For me, I confess I could have been happy with one thing:  their biscuits and blackberry jam.

At our house, the standard PBJ showcased grape jelly.  It's a flavor that takes me back to being a younger, littler me if ever I taste it, which hasn't been for at least a few years now.  We occasionally switched to strawberry for something a little extra special.  And for Christmas morning breakfast, guess what made its grand appearance?

Blackberry jam.

Then I got married.  My husband grew up with boysenberry (that's a variety of blackberry, folks) vines decorating the perimeter of his backyard pool.  And what did his mama do with all those berries?


Make jam.

So why did it take me five years to make our own homemade blackberry jam?  You tell me!  It's so easy! Don't wait five years.

First, crush your berries.  This is better done by hand with a potato masher, because jam is meant to have pieces of fruit in it.  If you would prefer a smoother (less seedy) jam, strain a few of those out, or use a food mill.  We don't mind seeds and chunks, so this is what our puree looks like:

There are a few things next that need to happen all at once.  You need a large pot (water bath canner) with a rack on the bottom (glass jars should not touch the bottom) and a lid on top.  It needs to be 3/4 full of water; that water needs to boil.  You also need to wash and sterilize your jars and rings.  And your new lids need to be just brought to a boil and then turned off.  Keep your jars hot--I do this by just leaving them in the hot, soapy water then rinsing them in hot water just before filling.

Next you'll bring the berries, a small amount of sugar and the fruit pectin to a boil.  Add in the rest of the sugar and return to a nice, rolling boil (still boils when stirred) and boil one full minute.  

Remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/2" space at the top.  Wipe rims clean, if necessary, and top with lids and rings.  Tighten just slightly--just use your fingers.  Use your jar lifter or tongs and place the jars into the canner.  Close the lid, return water to a boil.  Boil 10 minutes.  Remove from water and let sit 24 hours before storing.

Homemade Blackberry Jam


7 cups crushed blackberries
1 envelope Less Sugar Fruit Pectin
4 cups sugar


Mix pectin with 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl.  Combine with blackberries in large pot and bring to boil over medium heat.  Add remaining sugar and return to boil, then boil one full minute.  Remove from heat and fill jars.  Process in water bath 10 minutes.  Remove from canner and let rest 24 hours before labeling and storing in cool, dry place for up to 1 year.