We decided to go Blackberry picking this past weekend. I have a favorite spot out near Surrey that is always bursting with berries this time of year, and I was not disappointed this time. It is a public park with many trails that seem to be mainly used by dog walkers.... and berry pickers. I think we spent about an hour and a half picking and we left with two healthy buckets of berries. There were many on the bushes that will soon be ripening, so I think I may go again this weekend to stock up the freezer and make more concentrated juice.
The juice is very simple to make. Take a large clean bucket and with alternating layers, add washed berries then sugar, until the bucket it almost full. The idea is to have about an inch or two of berries then enough sugar on top of that layer to coat them, then you would add another layer of berries, then sugar, and so on... you don't want to mix it, just make layers. Next cover the bucket with a piece of cloth, like a tea towel, and secure it with an elastic (so nothing crawls inside). If you have a deck or patio that gets some sunlight, place the bucket there. If not, put it in a corner in your kitchen. Leave the bucket for several days until you notice mold beginning to form on a couple of the berries. Pick the molded berries out and strain off the juice. Don't squeeze the berries for more juice, you will only make the juice cloudy. Boil the liquid with some more sugar.... the amount of sugar depends on the amount of juice. As it boils, skim off any impurities that float to the top. After you are satisfied with the clarity, set in sterilized containers. This juice is concentrated.... so you can add a little to water, or use as a syrup on ice cream etc...
With the remaining berries you can make jam. First thing to do is to cook the berries until they break down. Next you want to strain out the seeds.... this is very time consuming and tiring.. but having a seed free jam is worth the labor! Now you add the pectin and bring to a boil. Add in the sugar and bring up to a boil again for a minute or so, then preserve in sterilized jars. I didn't actually follow a recipe for this, I just flew by the seat of my pants. I didn't measure anything either... I just added the amounts of ingredients that looks right! You may want to follow a recipe though, as an unset end product can be very disappointing. Mine came out a little runny at first, but after leaving it overnight it seems to have set up nicely. Next time I shall add more sugar to help it thicken... I tend to err on the side of caution with sugar, but in this case I could have done more.
I sure hope another bowl of pears finds its way to my home again.
