Homemade Crockpot Blackberry Jam

Okay, okay - I know, don't judge me.  This isn't a 'skinny' recipe - I just had SO many blackberries and thought this would be a good thing to try.  Plus with jam, you only use a little at a time.  Everything in moderation, right?  If you substitute the sugar and try it - let me know how it turns out!

I found this recipe over at Repeat Crafter Me!  If you know me, you know that I LOVE using the crockpot.  There was one time during the school year that my co-workers would ask me everyday what I had cooking for dinner in the crockpot that day.  I got a triple crockpot last Christmas so I can crockpot cook multiple recipes at the same time.  When I saw this recipe and saw that it involved the crockpot, I was all for it! 

Ingredients:

2 pints of fresh blackberries (rinsed & dried)

2 1/2 cups of sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1.  Lightly mash the berries in a large bowl with a pastry blender or potato masher.  It'll be chunky.  

2.  Add the blackberries to the crockpot and add in 2 cups of sugar and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Mix together and cook on low with the lid on for 2 1/2 hours - stir twice during this time.

3.  Remove the lid and cook on high for another 2 hours. 

4.  After that, I added an extra 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice and let it cook for another 30 minutes.  If it seems too thin, add more sugar & lemon juice.  It will thicken some as it cools.  It won't have the same consistency as store bought jam, but it'll taste better!

5.  If you prefer seedless, use a sieve to strain out the seeds.  I made 2 jars with seeds and 2 jars seedless.

6.  Can your Jam!  (Per Google & a YouTube video: I heated my jars & lids - not boiled - to sanitize them and added my jam to them.  Wipe the rims and add the lids securely by hand.  Boil the jars for 10 minutes & let cool for 12-24 hours.  Once cooled, the seal in the middle shouldn't move up and down.  The lid will POP when you open it.)  

There aren't any preservatives, so it should last about 6 months canned, or 2 months in the refrigerator.

I got these adorable wide mouth jars from Wal-mart.

Add a tag and ribbon and it makes for a perfect gift!

Try it on some Blackberry Cobbler Bread!

Or some Banana Blackberry Muffins!

ENJOY!