Old-Fashioned Blackberry Preserves

Start by placing the berries in a large bowl. Use a potato masher or biscuit cutter to smash the berries into a pulp. Working with a cup or two of berries at a time, use the back side of a large wooden spoon to push one half of the mashed berry pulp through a fine wire strainer to remove the seeds. Don’t worry if a few make it through. Pour the strained pulp back into the mashed berries. You should have about 5 cups of berry juice and pulp when you finish. 

Add the pulp to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pectin. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and stir in the sugar. Return the mixture to a full boil and cook for one minute. Remove from heat. 

Using a ladle and a canning funnel, fill the jars just to the start of the jar threads, leaving ½ to ¾ of an inch of headspace. Use a clean cloth or paper towel to wipe the jar rims clean. Any moisture or preserves stuck to the jar rim will prevent the lid from sealing. Place the sanitized jar lids on the jars. Screw the rings on finger tight. 

To water batch can the preserves, add a wire rack or water batch canning rack to a large pot. Add 1 to 2 inches of water and set the heat level at medium-high. Carefully add the warm jars of preserves. Continue filling the pot with water until it covers the jars. Bring to a boil and cover the pot. Boil for 10 minutes. Using jar tongs, transfer the hot jars to a clean towel and allow them to set the lids. This process can can take up to several hours. You will hear an audible “ping” as each jar lid seals. Once sealed, the jars of preserves are shelf stable up to a year or more. You can if jars don't seal well by pressing the center of the lid. If the lid pushes down and springs back, the jar isn’t sealed. You should refrigerate these and use within 3-4 weeks time.