Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi all, i hope there are lots of people online who can help 'cos i'm poised and ready to go- just need to ask:
am making blackberry jam for the first time in breadmaker. my book says 500g to cup and a half of sugar - does this sound right?
also, am making jam in ordinary way. usually it's been a hit and miss affair but have just treated myself to a themometer so am using that . Question is - if i'm using all balckberries and sugar with PECTIN added, do i still have to add lemon juice? Last batch was a bit stiff and i'm not sure if i boiled it too long or added too much pectin
and last but not least: is preserving sugar the same as sugar with pectin added or is it just quicker dissolving or something? Sorry if that's a really daft question!
thanks
Raine

Really old fashioned advice here, I've never even considered making jam in a bread maker (don't have one anyway). Used to be a pound of sugar per pound of fruit, but the healthy eating mob have scuppered that. However, if you use less sugar the jam will not set or keep as well. Blackberries are low in pectin which means that even with the above proportions of fruit to sugar the jam won't set well. You can either add commercial pectin, lemon juice, or cooking apples. If using pectin you shouldn't need lemon juice, likewise if using lemon juice you won't need pectin, etc ad infinitum. I don't like seeds in jam, so if making berry preserves I usually make jelly instead - this merely means stewing the fruit gently until soft, straining through muslin or a jelly bag and using the resulting juice to make your preserve. In this case it is a pint of juice to a pound of sugar, plus pectin or lemon juice if needed.

Thanks rustylady, you've saved the day-or the jam!
raine