Spiced Blackberries

This is adapted from a recipe I only found this year. It intrigued me as it was so different to anything I had previously done with blackberries.

I twiddled it slightly to suit my tastes, and sorry I can't remember which bits I twiddled and in what way !

It really is to die for, and very very different.

Spiced Blackberries

2 1/4 lbs Blackberries
1 lb white Sugar
1/2 pint (UK pints) Malt Vinegar
1/2" piece of Cinnamon Stick
1" piece of fresh Root Ginger (chopped but not peeled)
1/2 teaspoon ground Mixed Spice
5 Juniper Berries
5 whole Cloves
3 rose scented Geranium leaves

1. Gently rinse the blackberries. Pick them over to remove all gunky bits and wildlife (insects). Leave to dry as much as possible.

2. Crush all the spices and put them into a 'spice bag', a small muslin bag tied tight.

3. Put the vinegar and the spice bag into a stainless steel saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil hard for 5 minutes.

4. Cover the pan and leave to stand until it is cold. Then remove the spice bag.

5. Put the cold vinegar and the sugar in a stainless steel saucepan and heat it up very gently, stirring often, until the sugar has all dissolved.

6. Add the blackberries to the vinegar liquid, and simmer until they are just tender.

7. Lift the blackberries out with a large spoon with holes in it and put them into hot, dry, sterilised glass jars (4 should be enough as this makes about 4 lbs). Use not metallic lids.

8. Keep the jars of blackberries warm.

9. Boil the remaining syrup hard, until it becomes nice and thick.

10. Add a geranium leaf to each jar on top of the blackberries.

11. Pour the hot syrup over the blackberries in the jars, making sure that they are all well covered.

12. Seal the jars immediately while it is all hot.