Elderberry jam

Name: Elderberry jam
Ingredients: 3 kg elderberries; 3 kg sugar; 8 g vanilla sugar (optional)

Jam - Elderberry jam by Ruxanda E. - Recipia

Elderberry jam is cooked with an equal weight of sugar and poured hot into jars; 3 kg of fruit yields six 800 g jars. The ripe berries soften, and the syrup turns almost black and thick as it cools. It’s my first time making it, I really like it, and I pick only the black, soft berries. Preparation: 45 minutes. Cook time: 45-55 minutes. Resting time: 4 hours. Total time: 5 hours and 30-40 minutes. Servings: 320. About 44 kcal and 0.1 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

3 kg elderberries
3 kg sugar
8 g vanilla sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. Carefully remove the berries from the clusters, which takes about 30 minutes. Pick out the ripe, black, soft ones; don’t taste the fruit raw. 2. Rinse the berries in several changes of water and leave them to drain in a sieve for 15 minutes. 3. Put the drained fruit and sugar in a preserving pan. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves. 4. Once the sugar has dissolved, cook for another 30-40 minutes, stirring continuously. The syrup darkens and forms thick bubbles; add the vanilla sugar at the end, if using. 5. Set the washed, dried jars on a metal tray. Carefully pour the hot jam into the jars, tighten the lids, turn them upside down and cover them with a blanket. Leave them for 4 hours, until cool.

Notes

On toast, spread a thin layer so the berries don’t slide off. Choose clusters with black, soft berries; red or firm ones aren’t ripe, and don’t taste the fruit raw. If the berries are still wet after rinsing, leave them to drain longer, since extra water can extend the cooking time. The hot syrup looks thinner than it will once cooled. I keep opened jars in the fridge and use the jam within 3 days; the vanilla sugar can be left out.