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Blackberry jelly (without added pectin) — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 4 cups blackberry juice (about 2 1/2 quart boxes of berries and 3/4 cup water)
- 3 cups sugar
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
- 1 Jelly or candy thermometer
Directions
- To Prepare Juice Select about 1/4 firm ripe and 3/4 fully ripe berries. Sort and wash; remove any stems or caps. Crush berries, add water, cover and bring to boil on high heat. Stir to prevent scorching. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- When fruit is tender, pour everything through a double layer of dampened cheesecloth or a damp jelly bag. Suspend the bag over a bowl or pan, using a stand or colander to hold the bag. Drain the juice without pressing or squeezing, which will cause cloudy jelly.
- If a fruit press is used, the juice should be restrained through a jelly bag. To Make Jelly Sterilize canning jars . Measure juice into saucepot. Add sugar and stir well.
- Boil over high heat until the temperature measures 8 degrees F above the boiling point of water (220 degrees F at sea level), or until the jelly mixture sheets from a metal spoon. (See Testing Jelly Without Added Pectin .) Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly.
- Pour hot jelly immediately into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner .
- Processing: Process Hot, Half-pints or Pints, boiling-water canner, 0 - 1,000 ft - 5 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: Table 1. Recommended process time for Blackberry Jelly in a boiling water canner. / Process Time at Elevations of / Style of Pack - Jar Size - 0 - 1,000 ft - 1,001 - 6,000 ft - Above 6,000 ft / Hot - Half-pints / / or Pints - 5 min - 10 - 15
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
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Share your results how it turned out.Safety classification
Tested NCHFP home-canning recipe.
Processing details
Method: Boiling water bath. Hot pack; half-pint or pint jars; 1/4-inch headspace; about 4–5 half-pints.
Tested source
Preparation timeline
Extract and measure blackberry juice; combine with sugar; boil to the tested temperature or sheeting endpoint; skim; fill sterile jars; process.
Equipment
Boiling-water canner, half-pint or pint jars, jelly bag, jar lifter, funnel, thermometer or spoon, and preserving kettle.
Visual method guide
- Prepare and measure ingredients exactly.
- Cook to the source’s boil or set endpoint.
- Fill, process by elevation, and cool undisturbed.
Safety essentials
Keep the tested blackberry-juice and sugar proportions, 1/4-inch headspace, jar sizes, and process unchanged.
About this recipe
A traditional blackberry jelly whose set comes from natural fruit pectin and concentration rather than added pectin.
Before you begin
Sterilize jars because the base process is 5 minutes. Use the source’s ripeness guidance and calculate the endpoint from the local boiling point.
Altitude/pressure schedule
| Elevation | Half-pints or pints |
|---|---|
| 0–1,000 ft | 5 min |
| 1,001–6,000 ft | 10 min |
| Above 6,000 ft | 15 min |
Serving suggestions
Serve on toast, biscuits, or cheese, or use as a dessert glaze.
FAQ
Why is no commercial pectin needed? The tested fruit selection and cooking endpoint concentrate naturally occurring pectin.
Recipe context and comparison
This version generally requires closer endpoint testing than commercial-pectin blackberry jelly.
Troubleshooting
Undercooking may cause a soft set; overcooking can make jelly stiff. Use the tested endpoint.
Source and provenance
Safety-critical values remain tied to the original NCHFP source.
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
8–15 lb of blackberries per person per year
This is an annual planning range that includes preserving and typical fresh use. Plant, row-foot, and square-foot estimates are shown only when compatible cited yield or spacing data is available.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.