How do I get rid of the seeds in jam?

Dunce Cap Strainer

Many people love jam, but hate the seeds associated with blackberry and raspberry jam.  I feel the same way and if you are making any in the near future, I have a trick that will help you out.  Let’s take blackberries:  That jam tastes so good…….but the seeds involved will get stuck in your teeth and if you happen to have any dentures, I have heard it can be painful when they get under the plate.

When you get your blackberries either picking them or buying them at a farmer’s market or at the store, bring them home, put them in a colander and wash.  This is to get any dirt or other undesirables away from the berries.

Put your blackberries in a pot and just cover them with water.  You don’t have to measure this, it’s not that hard, just cover the tops of the berries with water.  Set them on the stove and put it on medium heat for about 10 minutes.  It could be more or it could be less, just make the pot simmer a few minutes.

Set the pot off the stove and cool.  You will need a slotted spoon for dipping and a dunce cap strainer or a fine mesh strainer and a small cup or glass.  Dip some of the blackberries out  and put them in the strainer that is positioned over a bowl.  If you have the dunce cap strainer, there is a wooden pestle that you can smash the blackberries into a bowl with.  The skins and seeds will stay in the strainer and the pulp will go into the bowl.  When you have enough pulp, measure the cups of pulp and the cups of water you cooked the blackberries in.

You will need about 3 1/2 cups of blackberry pulp, 4 and 1/2 cups of sugar, a box of pectin and a pat of butter if you wish.  The butter is to keep foaming down at the end.  If you don’t have enough blackberry pulp, then add some of that blackberry water to make up the 3 1/2 cups.

Put the pulp, pectin, and butter in the pot and bring to a rolling boil.  A rolling boil is one that does not stop boiling when you are stirring.  Don’t stop stirring!  When it is a rolling boil, add the sugar.  Bring it up to a rolling boil as well.  At this point, you could be getting splashing with hot blackberry jam so you may want to put on an oven mit, but whatever you do, keep stirring!

When it comes to a rolling boil, look at the clock and make sure it boils at a rolling boil for a full minute.  If you think the pot is going to boil over, turn the heat down a little – continue stirring – and let it keep boiling.  After a minute, take the pot off the stove and give it rest for about 5 minutes.

When it has cooled a few minutes look in the pot to see if there is any foam.  If so, don’t worry, just take a spoon and spoon it onto a plate.  Use a ladle and a canning funnel to put the blackberry jam into the clean and warm jars.  Throw the lids on and screw down finger-tip tight.

Hopefully you have your canner boiling with hot water.  Using your canning lifter, put several jars into the pot, pop the lid on and set the time for 15 minutes for 1/2 pints, 20 minutes for pints, and 25 minutes for quarts.

When the timer goes off, take the jars out and place them on a towel to cool.  You should start hearing the snap of lids sealing in a few moments.  Be sure to check them after fully cooling to make sure the lids don’t snap back and forth when pushed down.  The lid should be stable like any jar you purchase at the store.

Store in a cool dry place until ready for use.  I like to use mine in between layers of white cake instead of frosting!  It’s great!!

This is not rocket science.  If I can do it, you can too!