Making blackberry jam

Back in the summer I had picked some blackberries and then didn't have the time to make the jam. I thawed the berries last night and made the jam today. Much to the amazement of some of my friends, I am not the organized person the some would lead you to believe. Some of the berries I thawed were wild black raspberries instead of blackberries. None the less they make good jam. In the jam recipe I use 5 cups of crushed blackberries and 1 pkg of sure-jell. Heat this to boiling and bring to hard rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil for 1 minute then add 7 cups of sugar and stir well. Bring back to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down and boil hard for 1 minute more, most times mine boils for 2 minutes or more depending on how long it takes the kettle to cool down after I remove it from the heat. Ladle into hot jars to within 1/2 inch of the top and put on hot lids. Let seal. I have a total of 6 pints and 9 1/2 pint jars of jam. And of course a sample proved it was delicious and it does have a slight hint or wild raspberry flavor. Or if you want to seal with paraffin, you can melt the paraffin in a double boiler or a small bowl wet over a pan of hot water then spoon the melted paraffin on top of the slightly cooled jam or jelly and then put on lid of any kind and set aside. This method is not used much any more due to the USDA canning and preserving guidelines. But I have used it to seal jams and jellies in years past with excellent results. If it worked for our grandmothers, I am inclined to think it will still work for us. But that's just my opinion. So till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.

stella