Hmmm, that didn't work out quite like I planned...

So, I decided to try my hand at jam-making again and this time I attempted to make a recipe that didn't call for pectin.  I now understand the magic that is pectin.  With the strawberry jam recipe that I made the other week, I just threw everything together, cooked it for a bit, and presto-chango, delicious jam was created.  With the blackberry jam that I attempted to make this weekend, I cooked it and cooked it and cooked it some more, waiting for the elusive "gelling point" to be reached.  Meanwhile, it boiled all over the stove (my fault) and it kept scalding me and boiling up on my pants and shirt.  I cooked that sucker for probably 20 or 30 minutes and could not find the "gelling point."  Hmmm, apparently I didn't know what the hell I was doing because when the jam finally cooled it became like mortar.  Hard as a rock!  There is no spreading this sucker!  I don't when exactly the "gelling point" was reached, but I'm guessing it was about 15 minutes before I took the jam off the stove.  Ooops.  I'm sticking to the pectin recipes from now on!

On a more positive note....doesn't it look pretty in the little jars?

The consistency of the jam does leave one to ask though....

...mommy, why are you trying to break my teeth?