Blackberry & Apple Jam

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• Moderately Easy

• Serves: 88
• Yield: 11 (8oz) jars
• Ready in: 1 hour 15 mins (15 mins Prep - 1 hour Cook)

Ingredients

• 1kg of blackberries
• 750g green apples (cooking, about 6 peeled & cored)
• 1.5kg caster sugar
• 125ml water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• finite measurements are for squares :-)
• Equipment
• biggest saucepan you've got (30cm across)
• 10-12 jars

Preparation method

1.   First put a small plate or two in the freezer.
2.   Put your clean glass jars and lids on greaseproof paper on a oven tray and put in the oven. When you start cooking turn the oven on to 100 C. This sterilises the jars and makes sure they won't crack when you put the very hot jam in them.
3.   Peel, core and cut apples into small chunks (the smaller the quicker they cook, but having chunks to bite in your jam is nice too, so not too small). Put them and the water into your saucepan. It needs to be big because the jam bubbles up nearly three times the volume. Cook with lid on over a medium heat for about 10 to 30 mins (till soft, but not mushy) add the blackberries for the last 5 mins.
4.   Lower the heat and add the sugar and stir with out it boiling until its all dissolved. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg.
5.   Bring the jam to the boil and boil for 20mins-ish, stirring often. Don't put the lid on, but wear long sleeves and use the lid as a shield as it can spit boiling sticky jam and it hurts!!! Stir across the base of the pan to check its not sticking or burning. If you are making these for a present, skim off the scum (this is tasty and goes well on a bit of toast when its cool) this is only for visual beauty there's nothing tastier than a bit of scum! When the jam falls from a tilted wooden spoon in 'thick sheets' (slightly glupy, no longer runny) test for setting point. If you have a sugar thermometer the temperature for jam is 104 C, but if not that's why you put a plate in the freezer with a puzzled face.
6.   Remove from the heat, place a little jam onto the cold plate and place it back in the freezer for 30 seconds. A skin will form on the surface and will wrinkle when pushed with your finger. If it's not doing this put it back on the heat and try again in a bit until it does.
7.   Get your jars out of the oven and either transfer the jam into a jug or just ladle it straight into the jars up to the start of the neck. With a clean/new damp cloth clean the edges of the neck (inside and out) and seal with lid. If you're like me, once all are sealed, then clean the rest of the jam off the jars and leave to cool. Store in a cool, dark place for 6-12 months. Refrigerate after opening. Enjoy :-)