Frozen or fresh berries are good for this recipe. Frozen ones are easier to come by than fresh most of the time. You can make variations on this by adding orange zest to the berries along with the lemon.

• Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice out. Discard the seeds and retain the juice.

• Put the lemon halves in a large saucepan with the blackberries and sugar. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring to prevent scorching.

• Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, remove lemon halves, and stir in lemon juice.

• Ladle or pour the jam into hot sterilized jars, filling to ¼″ from the top. Wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids and screw-on bands. Let cool at room temperature.

Jams and Preserves

Preserves and jams are exactly the same thing. When you make jam, you preserve the fruit by adding sugar, which thickens it. In the case of most jellies, you need to add pectin so that they will gel. Serve jam with a bowl of freshly roasted nuts to add crunch and fiber and cut the sweetness.