Blackberry Vanilla Basil Jam

a perfect example of a bright idea that i thought was soooo unique and original...

but alas...i found that it's been done and it's been done a lot.  so much so that it's even on the Food Network by Giada De Laurentis.

well i thought it was original and worthy of making...so i changed things up a bit and made it my own.  quite different than recipes i came across.

i must admit, the name sounds a lot more exotic than the actual flavor.  don't get me wrong...this IS a fabulous Blackberry Jam.  most recipes called for 2-3 full cups of basil.  i opted to lower the basil amount quite a bit because 2 full cups of basil brought visions to my mind of enjoying a lovely breakfast with a friend laughing and smiling...with a big chunk of green basil stuck to my tooth...besides i just wanted a hint of basil, not "in your face" basil.

to make this blackberry basil concoction a little more interesting i added zesty lemon slivers from 1 whole lemon, 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract AND my secret ingredient of 1 large roasted clove of garlic.  i was told by one of my taste testers that the jam had many layers of flavor...unlike any blackberry jam they had had.   GOOD that's what i wanted...something delicious,  a little different with layers of unexplainable sweet, yet slightly savory spreadable goodness.

BLACKBERRY VANILLA BASIL JAM

2 1/2 lbs fresh blackberries, washed and dried as much as possible

(weigh berries before washing)

3 3/4 cups granulated white sugar

juice from 1 lemon

zest from lemon.  peel with a potato peeler and cut zest into very thin slivers

1 large clove of roasted garlic

1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil

1 Tbsp dried basil in a tied cheesecloth pouch

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

start your huge pot for the water bath if you are canning.   get everything ready that you might need because when your jam comes to the right temp you don't want to be fumbling around looking for tongs or trying to sterilize your lids in a hurry.

i like to clean my jars and finish sterilizing in a 220 degree oven for 20 minutes...then turn oven off and let jars sit in warm oven until ready to fill.

put a few small plates in the freezer for your plate test...jam 101

add all ingredients into a large stock pot...i use one with tall sides because of the splatter once it gets to a syrupy boil.

bring to a boil over medium high heat while stirring to combine...it will quickly change from sugary thick lumpy to nice macerated raspberry moosh.

cook, stirring and skimming foam from surface...i skimmed towards the end.  take your cheese cloth basil sachet out before the mixture gets to thick.  cook until temperature reaches 220 F degrees on a candy thermometer.  lower heat to lowest and do a plate test.  if mixture sets on plate to your liking then you are ready to fill sterilized jars.  if not...bring back to medium heat and do another plate test.

process in a water bath for safe pantry storage up to a year.

OR...seal tightly and let come to room temperature before refrigerating for use with in a month or two.

NOTE...i am not the food safety police, i am new to canning AND most of my jams have been given or consumed quickly, however, i DO have a few jars set aside for the pantry.  i have inserted some links for sterilizing and water bath caning, but google around and get more info if you need it.  ALSO.....check out this website for some good tips on food safety

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