Blackberry jelly is a great Christmas present, but also the rich flavour of the jelly can be added to stocks, smothered on ice-cream or simply spread on toast with lashings of butter.

BlackBerry Jelly Recipe.

1.3-1.5 kg Blackberries

480- 500ml Water

A lemon (or two depending on size/taste)

2 Apples

Caster sugar

Jam Jars

Muslin or jelly bag.

First chop the apple and add with the water, lemon juice and berries into a pan. Boil until all the fruit is mushy and cooked, the apple with probably disintegrate.

I used an old thin tea towel, but if you have muslin or a jelly bag it’s even better. Pull the muslin tight, but not too taut, over a large bowl and secure in the corners with heavy items. The kettle, a bottle of wine and a few cans of tomatoes worked well for me. Gently tip the fruit concoction onto the muslin so that the juice can drip through. Don’t overfill! Be very careful.

Leave for  a couple of hours, or overnight, until the juice and fruit much has separated.

For roughly every pint of juice you need to add about 450g of sugar and simmer them until the sugar has dissolved.

This is the important bit so pay attention! To reach the setting point where you know the jelly is going to set, you need to turn up the heat until the liquid boils. As it boils you need to repeatedly take a tiny bit of the liquid onto a spoon and dot it onto a cool flat plate. If when you run your nail through the liquid, it begins to wrinkle or form a skin, you know that it is ready. Repeat the process until the wrinkling has been achieved and then pour the liquid into clean, dry jars. Add the lids and leave to cool.

Be aware that the lid needs to be fitted quickly so that it creates a vacuum and stops bacteria from entering.

I like to add some grated lemon zest into the jars just before the lid goes on, it looks pretty and over time, the jelly gets more and more lemony and fresh. Happy eating!

AM.Y