my labor day labour

This morning I went out, determined to find the rest of the blackberries I needed to make blackberry jam. It did not have to walk too far; instead, I tramped through the vines and held a few stickery branches back to reveal a number of ripe berries. Regardless of my efforts not to get scratched and poked, my arm has a number of minor abrasions right now.

In any case, within 20 minutes, I had my container full and headed back inside to sieve the seeds out. Aunt Faye left me with instructions on the jam-making process, so while I strained the seeds from the pulp and juice, I ran through the recipe a couple times to remind myself of the steps. Making jam is a remarkably easy process; you just have to keep an eye on the pot.

After finally achieving five cups of juice and pulp, I could heat it up, add the sugar and pectin and finally get the jam in jars. There is an immense sense of accomplishment (for me) in seeing this process complete from start to finish. I remember making candles in 1st or 2nd grade by dipping our wick into wax over and over again and thinking the project would have been more fun if we could have procured our own wax from beehives! Being able to pick my own berries and mash them up and create something tasty that will last for awhile was rewarding in its' own domestic way.

And, of course, I had to sample some of my wares. I scraped some of the already-congealed jam out of the bottom of the pan and put it on toast. Yum! I have to say, this is a project I could definitely repeat every now and then! Perhaps next time I'll branch out and try a different fruit. Stay tuned.