Blackberry time

Yay! its blackberry time. After last year's bumper crop I didn't think we'd have so many again but there's a whopping harvest to be had out there, so I'm making the most of the morning dog walk and picking as I go.

I had a look through the homemade jam cupboard before I started making anything and as there were still about 10 pots of blackberry jams and jellies left from 2013, it seemed silly to make more. So, having loved the blackberry cordial and syrup I made last year, and regretting that it was used up all too soon I made that again.

Its been a kitchen-y kind of day so I've also made some wild-plum jam as the tree at the bottom of the garden is heavy with them (and most of what I have used so far is windfalls, I haven't even started picking from the tree properly yet).

Blackberry cordial, blackberry syrup and wild plum jam

The Blackberry cordial recipe is here: http://poppylkitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/foraging-produce-2013.html

Blackberry syrup
(from Pamela Michael's 'Edible wild plants and herbs')

Blackberries and sugar in kilner jar before heating

Put 1lb of blackberries and 1/2lb of sugar into a kilner jar and place into a pan with water around it - bring to the boil and then simmer for an hour. Sieve the contents into a pan and add a further 1/2lb of sugar, bring to the boil again, dissolve  the sugar and keep boiling for a further 5 minutes. Pour into a clean sterile bottle and cork.