I much prefer the NCHFP instruction for canning them. Only a brief 30 sec. blanching for the hot pack if that is what you prefer. We use the raw pack method. But sugar is optional. You can do them in a sugar syrup if you wish. I prefer to have them plain as I want to just drain them to bake with rather than have any sugar syrup in the mix. For pies - can them as pie filling.

Quality - softer than fresh of course but with raw pack they still retain some firmness and are fine for baking.

Dave

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/berries_whole.html

That looks great Dave, thank you. Do you have any idea if shelf life of blackberries is less without adding any sugar as opposed to using a light syrup? I would rather put them up without any sugar, but would do so if it extends their shelf life or helps retain texture.

thank you!

I can't really say as ours don't sit on the shelf all that long before being used. By the following spring they are all gone. But in theory, yes anything canned with some sugar will generally store longer. Canning them in apple juice might be a good compromise - lot less sugar than sugar syrup but more than plain water. Unlike sugar syrup you can always drain it off before using them.

Dave

Grandma used to can wild blackberries and use them for cobblers and my favorite blackberry dumplings in the winter, but she added sugar to hers. I was caught more than once eating them straight from the jar, and I paid the consequences as the punishment was worth it, LOL. I loved soaking up that blackberry syrup with a slice of homemade bread and butter, yum.

As happens with wild foods, there was not usually an excess, so ours didn't last more than one year, so I can't speak as to length of storage, but I can tell you that they were delicious and no softer than frozen berries were after they thawed.

Annie

Thank you Annie and Dave. I am excited to can blackberries this year! It seems odd that I have never done it, but I got in the habit of freezing them about 20 yrs ago, and never really considered the possibility that they would hold up under processing times. I know what you mean about them not lasting long... I will probably have to hide a few jars so I have some when winter rolls around.

I'm trying to clear a few things out of my freezer. Would it make a big change to the texture to can my frozen berries? Or would that not be recommended?

They will be double-soft. Already soft when thawed from the freezing and then mushed even more by the canning processing. Would still work for making jam or syrup.

Dave