This jam was just lovely! I used the recipe from one of the Ministry of Foods ‘Jams and Jellies’ leaflets (see below) substituting elderberries for blackcurrants (as I had a couple of bags in my freezer). I have 3 jams on the go right now, plain blackcurrant, this blackcurrant and apple and a rhubarb, apple and berry (recipe coming soon). I’m particularly enjoying a teaspoonful in my morning porridge or a dollop on my fresh homemade bread 2 or 3 times a week.
I sterilise my jars for these jam recipes by washing the jars, rinsing in hot water and then placing the empty jars in a pre-heated oven at 150C for 20 minutes, removing them on the tray moments before ladling in the hot jam. The lids I rinse, place in a bowl, pour over very hot water from the kettle until the lids are submerged, and leave them there for several minutes before the jam is added to the jars.
Enjoy!
C xxxx
PS: There are useful jam making supplies on my Amazon shop HERE
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Blackcurrants washed & drained (frozen berries are fine)
- 1.5 lbs Bramley apples peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch sized chunks
- 2.5 lbs Granulated sugar (maybe only 2lbs of sugar if using sweet apples)
- 300 ml Water
Instructions
- Put the water and apple chunks in a preserving pan (or similar) and simmer gently, stirring slowly until soft (about 5-10 mins).
- Add the blackcurrants, bring to the boil and simmer, stirring slowly until soft (about 5-10 mins).
- Add the sugar and keep stirring to dissolve the crystals.
- Once dissolved boil rapidly for 10 mins stirring regularly.
- Take off the heat and test a large drop of jam on a chilled saucer and if it crinkles after a couple of mins it’s ready (alternatively use a jam/candy thermometer until it reaches 105C)
- If not boil for another 2 mins and repeat the test until ready.
- Remove excess scum with a slotted spoon.
- Ladle into sterilised jars. Makes several x 300 ml jars
Caveat: You can further process the jams after bottling (submerged in hot water and simmered for a further 15 minutes for a jars up to 500mls and 25 minutes up to 750 mls). This is often used to ensure a proper seal/vacuum once removed from the hot water. Although I usually further process with pickles etc I don’t always with high sugar jams as long as everything is clean and piping hot and the rims of the jar are absolutely clean when placing the lids on. Although botulism is quite rare these days you can’t be too clean and too careful so feel free to process further… xx
BOOK UPDATE: “The Pandemic Pantry cookbook is about half completed now. It is taking longer than I thought mostly because I’ve been using the nice weather to work in the garden to try and prepare for planting a victory garden. With no job and an uncertain future right now I HAD to put this first and make it a priority knowing that the nice weather wouldn’t be with us forever (we are forecast nearly two weeks of rain starting tomorrow). I feel that our food supply is important especially if prices rise over the coming months and hopefully, a garden of sorts will help my economic situation a little if times get tough…. hope you understand. I’ll be catching up with the book this week. Thanks for all the great recipes and messages. It’s been AMAZING!” C xxxx
Yum! Do the filled jars of jam have to be further processes or anything or can I plunk then into the pantry and forget about them for a while (as if, but could I!)?
Hi there, you can further process them (submerged in hot water and simmered for a further 15 minutes for a jars up to 500mls and 25 minutes up to 750 mls). This is often used to ensure the seal/vacuum. Although I usually further process with pickles etc I don’t bother with high sugar jams as long as everything is clean and piping hot and the rims of the jar are absolutely clean when placing the lids on. Although botulism is quite rare these days you can’t be too clean and too careful so feel free to process further… I think I’ll add a caveat in now you’ve mentioned it! xx
Looks delicious! And the bread does too!
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Hi, is the weight of apples measured before or after peeling and coring? I always find this a bit of a grey area!