Blackberry whiskey honey lemon-thyme jam

Yesterday I made a blackberry-whiskey-lemon thyme jam.  Mid-July is wild blackberry season here in Pennsylvania, and I’ve been out picking these past two weeks.  Fighting past the brambles is worth it.  Pick mostly the ripest, darkest blackberries and a few of the young reddish ones (they have lots of natural pectin in them). This jam is not too sweet yet flavorful.

I had a little Bulleit Rye left over and thought I’d put it to good use.  Nursing the bramble scratches is tough work sometimes.

I’ll be okay.

Here is what you need:

• 1 pound of blackberries
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 tablespoons of whiskey
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh lemon thyme (or use another thyme to substitute)

Method:

Some people like the seeds in their jam, some do not.  If you do not, you can do a few things to get rid of the seeds.  One option is to use a food mill.  I could not find mine, so I just used a potato masher inside a metal sieve.  The seeds stay inside and the juices flow outside.  Problem solved.  I have also put the berries inside a blender on pulse low for a moment or two and then strained the seeds out that way if in a pinch.

For jams, use non-reactive cookwear (I like stainless steel or copper for jam making).  Place a few spoons in the freezer for checking whether jam is done, aka, the freezer test.  Split a vanilla bean and scrap the beans using the dull side your knife.

Place blackberries in a pot and add sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla bean, and mash the blackberries using a method described above (or your own).  Let the fruit macerate and seep out its own juice for a few hours if you have that luxury of time.

Heat your jam pot on medium and until it reaches a gentle boil and the sugars have dissolved.  Add honey and lemon thyme.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes. During this time, check if the jam has set by testing it on the frozen spoons. Pour some jam over the back of a frozen spoon and if the liquid doesn’t run off the spoon, the jam is set.

Pour the hot jam into clean (sterilized is best) jars.  Can process as you would an acid fruit product.  For me, that is usually 10 minutes in a boiling bath.  Let cool.  Label, store.