Kitchen Witchery: Blackberry Jam

Mabon season is also blackberry season, and I love them both! Since my local farmer’s market has huge, delicious berries right now, I thought I’d celebrate the season with blackberry jam.

Jam is the easiest thing to make, though it takes some patience and a bit of practice to get it just the way you like. Still, over the years I’ve learned some things that help:

Let it sit – This is my favorite tip, and I wish I could remember where I heard it. But basically, instead of mashing everything together before cooking and trying to decide the best time to add the sugar, you dump the berries, sugar and lemon juice together beforehand and stick it in the fridge overnight. (Though with blackberries, you’ll want to give it a mash or two to get it going.) The fridge does the work, and the macerated berries are a snap to…