MAKES 1 large jar
• 600g fresh blackberries
• 40ml water
• 2 large pieces of lemon rind
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 600g caster sugar
Rinse the blackberries quickly just to remove any bugs, then put them in a heavy-based pan with the water, lemon rind and juice and simmer very gently for 15 minutes until the fruit is really soft. Add the sugar and heat over a low heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, then continue to simmer for about 10 minutes until it reaches 105°C on a sugar thermometer.
Turn off the heat and leave the jam to settle for 10 minutes, before filling the sterilized jars (see page 280) and sealing once cooled. It will keep sealed until the following blackberry season.