Mama Wallace's Girls: A taste of Summer

A taste of summer! Blackberry jam, yummy!

Here is what you need: Fresh ripe blackberries, instant "Ball"pectin (no cooking needed), sugar, freezer jam jars. I used "Ball".

This is a large 16 oz. I have a big family. Smaller ones would also work.

First wash the freezer jars in hot soapy water. They need to be very clean. Also wash bowl,whisk, ladle, measuring cup and spoon. The next step you need help with. I raised my jars with water I had just boiled, to get rid of germs.

On a clean cloth let the jars air dry.

Using cool water, raise the berries carefully. Move them gently around so all of the berries get clean. Check for any stems, yucky berries and under ripe berries and remove them.

Starting with a just a few berries smash them with a potato masher. No whole berries should remain.

Add more berries and smash them.

All the berries should be smashed well.

Measure out 1 and 2/3 cups of the smashed berry pulp.

This recipe call for 2/3 cup of sugar. Measuring cups only have a 1/3 cup.

Add two 1/3 cups of measured sugar.

Sugar amounts in jam make a BIG difference in the out come of the jam, so level the sugar to the top of the cup.

Pectin is what makes jam, otherwise you would have sweet smashed blackberries that would run off your toast. Pectin makes it thick enough to hold together so it spreads on toast.

This recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons of pectin.

Level the pectin with the top of the spoon.

Mix the pectin and sugar together.

It should look one color instead of white sugar with off white pectin. Mix it thoroughly.

Adding the 1 2/3 cup of berries to sugar/pectin mix. Stirring while adding the berries.

When mixing the berries and sugar together make sure you are getting to the bottom of the bowl. Sugar and pectin need to be all mixed in with the berries.