Blackberry Jelly...... Success!

We did it! With our 10 cups of blackberries picked yesterday, we made 4 whole jars of blackberry jelly!  (We'll try not to eat it all in one morning!) It took us about 2 hours to make, and that includes picking the blackberries.  Main lesson learned:  We need LOTS more blackberries!! The secret was the fruit juicer my grandmother had purchased a few years ago.  Within 5 minutes, we had washed, drained, and crushed the berries, removing all the seeds.  If you ever plan on making jelly, one of these babies is a must-have!

This isn't the exact brand we used, but it's a little cuter!

I'm sending Justin back out to pick more blackberries tonight and tomorrow, and gathering several cups from friends who want jelly, so we'll be making more in the next few days.  I'm putting these girls to work this summer!

Oh, and if you happen to be interested in our recipe, it's here:

10 cups fresh blackberries
1 (1 3/4 ounce) packet dry pectin
5 cups granulated sugar

Wash, drain, and crush berries.  For jelly, drip through a cheesecloth to remove the juice from the berries.  (Or use a super awesome juicer.)  Add dry pectin and sugar.  Stir to mix well.  Stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil and boil 1 complete minute.  Remove from heat and pour into hot, steralized jars.  Seal.  Let set 24 hours.