Jam and Jelly

I love to make jams and jellies, I don't do it as often as I would like. Kind of like bread making, I love to make bread just don't seem to have the time. The one thing about making Jelly is I wish I had a fresh warm slice of homemade bread with butter on it so I can add the fresh jam or jelly.
I make these thumbprint cookies for Christmas and I have no idea why I have to have them with jam that has the seeds in them, I have always made them this way and think I will until the day I die. :o) They are one of my family favorites.
What are some of your family favorites? Do you have a meal that you make that your family knows you will make on a certain day every year? Mine is the first day of Autumn, I make Hot Italian soup with garlic bread, hot apple cider and for dessert a pumpkin pie and spice cookies with a pumpkin dip. I have been making this meal for about 25 years now. My favorite time of the year is Autumn so I think I wanted to celebrate it and that is why this meal came to be.
This jam and jelly recipe is really simple, give it a try I will be making my Jalapeno jelly soon also and I have an idea for a cinnamon apple one also so I can have read and green for my Christmas baskets. Which makes me realize that there are now only 99 more days until Christmas. :o)
So anyhow I went to a friends today and picked her blackberries. As I was making the jelly I thought of another great idea for a jelly recipe, I will have to try it and let you know how it turns out.

The jam recipe is on the Sure Jell recipe, I had thought the jelly recipe I used was from it also, I have no idea why I did it this way but it turned out great. I looked all over the recipe page that came in my box and there was nothing for this recipe, the joy of getting older not only am I forgetting everything I am now making up recipes, as long as they turn out then it is all good.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.


4 cups blackberries (not all my berries were ripe at least 1/2 cup to one cup were red still)
4 cups water
4 cups juice
1 box dry petcin
5 cups sugar
Mash berries and add water and cook to a boil, boil on medium/medium high heat for 20 minutes
Strain berries and throw away the seeds.
Measure 4 cups juice stir in pectin and stir well, bring to a full boil in a large pan and boil for one minute, stir in sugar all at once and stir very well, stir non-stop and bring to a full boil and boil for 1-2 minutes. Skim off foam and add to prepared jars. Makes sure you clean off the tops of your jars even if you think they are clean. Add lids and seal.