Mixed Berry Syrup

When my mom came to visit, we had so much fun picking blackberries from a U-Pick garden. My mother-in-law went with us, and we came away with so many blackberries. They are much cheaper when you pick them yourself as opposed to buying them in the grocery store. Not to mention, it's much more fun picking them when you have someone to pick with.
I wish we could have picked all of the fruits in this recipe, but I couldn't find a U-Pick strawberry place this late in the season, and we just didn't have enough time to pick blueberries. We got the rest of the berries from a local farmer's market.


This recipe was supposed to be a jam recipe. The fruit has a natural pectin in it that should thicken up with the help of sugar, but it never thickened. Aubrey's grandmother said that there should be a 2:1 ratio of fruit and pectin, but this recipe doesn't give that ratio. Next time I'll try adding more sugar to see if that helps. Just because it didn't thicken doesn't mean that it tasted any worse. It tastes phenomenal! It's a good mix between tart and sweet. I've been enjoying this on top of ice cream, and I can't wait to put it on top of biscuits and pancakes, as well. I'm also really enjoying Greek yogurt these days, and I think it would be great mixed in plain yogurt. The possibilities are endless.

Ingredients:
2 cups raspberries
2 cups strawberries, quartered and hulled
4 cups blackberries
4 cups blueberries
3 cups sugar (I'll try 6 cups next time for making jam)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Have ready hot, sterilized jars and their lids.

In a large nonreactive saucepan, gently toss together the berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the jam has thickened, about 15 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles and adjust the headspace, if necessary. Wipe the rims clean and seal tightly with the lids.

Process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. If a seal has failed, store the jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Makes 6 half-pint jars.

Source: The Art of Preserving