Small Batch Blackberry Jelly

This small batch of Blackberry Jelly is big on flavor. It only uses one-half package of Original Sure-Jell pectin and less sugar.

Makes 4 small half-cup jars

Blackberry Jelly on homemade biscuit.

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Homemade Blackberry Jelly:

A better title for this recipe might be a “Really Small Batch of Blackberry Jelly.” Since it only makes a total of two cups of jelly, it is a really small batch. You will only need one-half of a package of Original Sure-Jell Powdered Fruit Pectin (2 Tablespoons) to make this jelly. Although the blackberries used for this recipe are Himalayan Blackberries, you can also use store bought blackberries. You can read more about Himalayan blackberries at the end of the post.

There are two reasons for making a small batch of blackberry jelly:

1. Store bought blackberries are very expensive. I usually wait for a sale before using blackberries from the store to make jelly.
2. If you are gathering wild blackberries, it can be difficult to pick enough berries for a larger batch. The Himalayan blackberries that I used here are from”volunteer” plants that were not cultivated. They were growing in with some roses and other plants that get watered. So the harvest was rather limited.

Low sugar blackberry jelly with pectin:

Like most of our jelly and jam recipes, I have reduced the amount of sugar by using equal amounts of juice and sugar. But I still use the Original Sure-Jell Powdered Fruit Pectin in the yellow box. You can see where I also used less sugar in Manzanita Blossom Jelly and Fresh Apricot Jam.  Do not use  “Less sugar needed” Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin in the pink box with this recipe because it will not work. If you would like to use “Less sugar needed” Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin in the pink box, then follow the directions for Blackberry Jelly that come in the box.

Ingredients:

Ingredients for Blackberry Jelly

5 cups blackberries (about 20 oz. by weight)
2 Tablespoons Original Sure-Jell Powdered Fruit Pectin (1/2 package)
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 half-cup (4 ounce) canning jars with rings and lids

Equipment:

Large pot for canning
Trivet for canning pot

Instructions for canning blackberry jelly:

1. Place the 4 half-cup canning jars in a large pot with a trivet in the bottom. Cover with water so that the water comes 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Allow another inch of space above the water to allow for bubbling water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Sterilize the jars by boiling gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to fill the jars.
2. Rinse the 5 cups blackberries under cold water and drain in a colander. Place in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.
3. Put a colander lined with a damp pressing cloth over a large pot. Place the mashed berries in the pressing cloth and let stand for about 5 minutes. The juice from the berries will drain into the pot below the colander. You may want to wear kitchen gloves or latex gloves for the next step to help keep your hands from becoming too discolored.
4. Raise the four corners of the cloth over the berries and twist close. Twist and squeeze the cloth tightly to extract as much juice as possible from the blackberries.  You should have 1-1/3 cups of blackberry juice when done.
   

   1 - Place canning jars on a trivet in a large pot. Cover with water to sterilize.

   

   2 - Put blackberries that have been rinsed and drained in a large bowl and mash.

   

   3 - Place the berries in a colander lined with a damp cloth over a large pot.

   

   4 - Raise the four corners of the cloth over the berries and twist closed as tightly as possible.
5. Place the juice in a 2-quart saucepan. Add 2 Tablespoons of Original Sure-Jell Powdered Fruit Pectin (1/2 of the package).
6. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the juice until the pectin is dissolved and the juice begins to bubble up.
7. Quickly add the 1-1/3 cups sugar and stir thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved.
8. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Watch closely to avoid boiling over.
   

   5 - Place juice in a 2-quart saucepan. Add 2 Tbsp. of Original Sure-Jell Powdered Pectin.

   

   6 - Place saucepan over medium heat. Stir until juice begins to bubble up.

   

   7 - Quickly add 1-1/3 cups sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved.

   

   8 - Bring to a full rolling boil for 1 minute. Watch closely to avoid boiling over.
9. Remove from heat, skim foam, pour into hot, sterilized jars, and seal.
10. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from pot and place on a clean towel to cool.   
    

    9 - Remove from heat, skim foam, pour into hot, sterilized jars, and seal.

    

    10 - Place jars in large pot on a trivet. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Notes:

• Store bought blackberries: If you would like to use store bought blackberries, you will need four 6-ounce clam-shell baskets of blackberries to prepare this jelly.
• Small canning jars: I decided to use these small 4 ounce canning jars because I plan to give most of this jelly as gifts. By using small jars, I would have more jars of jelly to give away. If you like, you can use the 8 ounce (half pint) canning jars. This means that you will get two 8 ounce jars of jelly per batch.
• Himalayan Blackberries: Himalayan blackberries were originally brought to this country for cultivation and commercial use. They quickly escaped cultivation and are now classified as an invasive species. Once they become established in an area, they are difficult to remove. I have noticed that where we live here in California, they usually grow along streams and other areas where they can get sufficient water.

5 from 2 votes

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Small Batch Blackberry Jelly

This small batch of Blackberry Jelly is big on flavor. It only uses one-half package of Original Sure-Jell pectin and less sugar.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword blackberry, boiling water bath, pectin

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Cooling time 2 hours

Servings 32 Tablespoons

Calories 40 kcal

Rev. McKinney admin

Ingredients

• 5 cups blackberries
• 2 Tbsp. Original Sure-Jell Powdered Fruit Pectin (1/2 package)
• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 4 4 ounce canning jars with rings and lids (1/2 cup size)

Instructions

1. Place the 4 half-cup canning jars in a large pot with a trivet in the bottom. Cover with water so that the water comes 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Allow another inch of space above the water to allow for bubbling water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Sterilize the jars by boiling gently for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside until ready to fill the jars.

2. Rinse the 5 cups blackberries under cold water and drain in a colander. Place in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.

3. Put a colander lined with a damp pressing cloth over a large pot. Place the mashed berries in the pressing cloth and let stand for about 5 minutes. The juice from the berries will drain into the pot below the colander. You may want to wear kitchen gloves or latex gloves for the next step to help keep your hands from becoming too discolored.

4. Raise the four corners of the cloth over the berries and twist close. Twist and squeeze the cloth tightly to extract as much juice as possible from the blackberries. All of the juice will be collected in the pot. You should have 1-1/3 cups of blackberry juice when done.

5. Place the juice in a 2-quart saucepan. Add 2 Tablespoons of Original Sure-Jell Powdered Fruit Pectin (1/2 of the package).

6. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the juice until the pectin is dissolved and the juice begins to bubble up.

7. Quickly add the 1-1/3 cups sugar and stir thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved.

8. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute. Watch closely to avoid boiling over.

9. Remove from heat, skim foam, pour into hot, sterilized jars, and seal.

10. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove jars from pot and place on a clean towel to cool.

Recipe Notes

• Store bought blackberries: If you would like to use store bought blackberries, you will need four 6-ounce clam-shell baskets of blackberries to prepare this jelly. 
• Small canning jars: I decided to use these small 4 ounce canning jars because I plan to give most of this jelly as gifts. By using small jars, I would have more jars of jelly to give away. If you like, you can use the 8-ounce (half pint) canning jars. This means that you will get two 8 ounce jars of jelly per batch.