Alright, let’s talk about this blackberry jalapeno jam, ya hear? It ain’t nothin’ fancy, but it sure is somethin’ tasty.
First off, you gotta get yourself some blackberries. Good, ripe ones, not them sour little things. And jalapenos, now them you gotta be careful with. I ain’t got no time for no crybabies complainin’ it’s too hot, so you use what you can handle, ya understand? Me, I like a little kick, so I throw in a good handful.
Now, you gotta mash them blackberries up. I just use a potato masher, nothin’ special. Some folks get all fancy with them food mill thingamajigs, but I say, why bother? Just mash ’em good, that’s all you need.
- Get your blackberries.
- Get your jalapenos.
- Mash the blackberries.
Then, chop up them jalapenos. Tiny little pieces, you don’t want no big chunks in your jam. And don’t go touchin’ your eyes after, unless you wanna cry like a baby. Been there, done that, ain’t fun.
Next, you gotta mix everything together. Blackberries, jalapenos, sugar…lots of sugar, mind you. This ain’t no diet food, this is jam. And you need somethin’ called fruit pectin. Don’t ask me what it is, some kinda magic powder that makes the jam thick, I reckon. Oh, and a squeeze of lemon juice, just a little bit, to make it all zingy.
Cooking it is the real trick. You gotta put it in a big pot, on the stove, and stir, stir, stir. You can’t just walk away and leave it, no sir. It’ll stick to the bottom and burn, and then you’ll have a mess and no jam. And nobody wants that. You gotta keep stirrin’ till it gets thick, like, real thick. You know, like when you drop a little bit on a cold plate and it doesn’t run all over the place?
That’s how you know it’s done. Then you gotta pour it into jars. Hot jars, mind you. I just boil ’em in some water to make sure they’re clean. And you gotta seal ’em up tight, so they don’t go bad. I ain’t got time for no spoiled jam. Waste of good berries and sugar, that is.
Now, what do you do with this blackberry jalapeno jam, you ask? Well, anything you want, I say. I like it on toast in the mornin’. Or on biscuits. Heck, I even put it on my pork chops sometimes. Adds a little somethin’ special, ya know? My grandkids, they love it on their peanut butter sandwiches. Said it’s the best thing ever. Kids these days, always comin’ up with somethin’ new.
Some folks, they put this jam on English muffins or bagels. Sounds fancy, but I ain’t never tried it. I’m a simple woman, I like my simple food. But you do what you want, I ain’t gonna judge. It’s good jam, that’s all that matters.
And if you don’t like seeds, well, you can strain them berries, I guess. Use one of them strainers, or whatever they call it. But me, I don’t bother. Little bit of seeds never hurt nobody. Adds some texture, I say. Makes it more…rustic.
So, there you have it. Blackberry jalapeno jam. Easy to make, even for an old woman like me. And it tastes mighty fine. Go on, give it a try. You might just surprise yourself.
And one more thing, if you gonna make this jam, don’t skimp on the sugar, ya hear? Sugar’s what makes it jam, not just some kinda spicy fruit sauce. And don’t go addin’ no weird stuff, neither. Keep it simple, that’s the key. Just blackberries, jalapenos, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice. That’s all you need. Nothin’ more, nothin’ less. Trust me on this one.
Now get to cookin’ and don’t forget to clean up your mess after, alright?
Tags: [blackberry jam, jalapeno jam, homemade jam, spicy jam, easy jam recipe, canning, fruit preserves, breakfast spread, blackberry recipes, jalapeno recipes]