Bramble Jam - from the wild patch 

Bramble Jam — From the Wild Patch to 3rd Prize!

 Every year, when the brambles are ripe, we head off to our favourite wild patch in the woods and pick tooooons of blackberries! 

There is something very special about gathering wild food. You never quite know how much you're going to come home with, but somehow the baskets always seem to fill up! And this year was incredible.

 We freeze lots of our brambles so we can enjoy them throughout the year, but some of Last year's harvest had another plan... Jam!

I decided to turn some of our freshly picked brambles into homemade blackberry jam — and then, on a bit of a whim, I entered a jar into the Boyle Summer Fair.

 I've never entered my jam into a competition before, so I really wasn't expecting anything!

 And then... WE WON 3RD PRIZE! 

I was absolutely delighted.

There's something extra special about getting a prize for something made from food you've foraged yourself, cooked yourself and preserved yourself.

 From a wild patch in the woods...to a jar in the kitchen...to 3rd prize at the summer fair.

Not bad for a few little brambles! 

Homemade Bramble Jam

Ingredients

• 1kg blackberries/brambles

• 1kg jam sugar

• Juice of 1 lemon

The how-to bit

1. Prepare your brambles
   Give the blackberries a good check-over and remove any leaves, stalks or little woodland visitors who may have decided they were coming home with you! 

2. Add the fruit to a large saucepan
   Place the blackberries into your pan and gently heat them until they begin to soften and release their lovely dark purple juice.

3. Add the lemon juice
   Stir in the lemon juice and continue cooking gently.

4. Add the sugar
   Add the jam sugar and stir until it has completely dissolved.

5. Bring to the boil
   Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the mixture to a good rolling boil. Cook until the jam reaches setting point.

6. Test the set
   Place a small spoonful onto a cold plate and allow it to cool for a moment. Push your finger through it — if the surface wrinkles and the jam holds its shape, you're there!

7. Jar it up
   Carefully pour the hot jam into clean, sterilised jars and seal.

8. Leave to cool
   Once cooled, label your jars and store according to your preserving method.

And then...

Enjoy it on toast, scones, porridge, pancakes or simply sneak a spoonful straight from the jar when nobody is looking. 

 A little bit of the wild in every jar

I love recipes like this because they remind us that growing your own food isn't the only way to enjoy what nature provides.

Foraging, growing, preserving and cooking all go hand in hand.

A handful of wild brambles can become something delicious that lasts long after the berries have disappeared from the hedgerows.

 And apparently... award-winning delicious!

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