We are very fortunate to live in a house that is surrounded by fields and hedgerows filled with delicious free food. By late September and early October brambles are in full fruit, and one of the best things to make with blackberries is jelly. Foraged blackberries need to be washed and all debris-stalks-insects removed.
Delicious served in yoghurt, cream, mascarpone or crème fraiche, it can also be spread on toast, in cakes, on scones or even spooned into gravy to add a fruity, sweet twist to roast Sunday lunches.
When potted in clean, sterilised jars the bramble jelly will keep for over a year in a cool, dark larder, but once opened make sure you keep the jar in the fridge and then use within 5 days.
Bramble Jelly
Ingredients to make 5 jars of 225g each.
1.8 kg blackberries
Juice of 2 lemons
450ml water
Granulated sugar {see recipe method below for quantity}
Sterilised jars {placed in a hot oven for half an hour} and clean lids
Method
Wash the blackberries, removing stalks and debris. Put the clean blackberries, lemon juice and water into a Maslin preserving pan and simmer gently for an hour, mixing well.
After an hour the fruit will be soft and pulpy. Spoon the pulp into a jelly bag and leave to strain suspended over a clean bowl for 12 hours or overnight.
The following day, or after 12 hours, place a clean saucer in the fridge.
Discard the pulp from the jelly bag. Measure the juice and for every 600 ml of juice measure 350g of granulated sugar.
Place the juice and correct quantity of sugar in a saucepan and heat gently. Bring to a simmer, stirring, dissolving the sugar. Bring to the boil and then boil rapidly for 10 minutes.
Test for a set: take the cold saucer and place a teaspoon of the bramble jelly liquid on it. Push the jelly liquid with the tip of your index finger and if it crinkle-wrinkles then the set has been reached.
Take the pan off the heat, remove scum with a spoon, ladle and pot the jelly into sterilised jars and cover.