BLACKBERRY JAM

We were somewhere out of nowhere. It had been raining for a while. Our boots were wet. Feet, cold. The sun was shining by that time though, so I took my shoes off and walked on naked feet. The ground was rocky and you could see messy branches all over it. But there was no pain, just a strange energy flowing from the earth to my nude feet.

That was nature.

I find hard to think about something more powerful than nature. I just know an infinitesimal, or even less, part of it and I can already feel an unmeasurable strength coming from it. I wonder, then, how would it be to perceive all its magical essences at the same time; its different faces, colours, smells or venoms, all of them caressing my cheeks. Perhaps, I'd fall, or maybe I'd be too shocked in astonishment to realise about the hole unbelievable experience.

And then, apart from this enormity, there are those tiny, practically undetectable things that make nature much more beautiful. I'm talking about colourful, different-sizes-and-textures details. I'm talking about all these things you can come across with when you find yourself somewhere out of nowhere, surrounded by nature.

These are the gems hid in this golden chest called universe.

The day I was walking on bare feet, hundreds of blackberries appeared in my way. In fact, I was there to find some of them, but I hadn't expected to see such an enormous amount. I was amazed, trapped in wonder. The only thing I could do was start picking up those little delicacies, being careful, though, not to take an excessive quantity, since other lucky people may discover that paradise some day and would like to try them too.

What I was going to do with the blackberries was easy to decide. I was determined: I had to try that old recipe written in my mum's recipe book. Since my aunt gave the recipe to my mum a while ago, she has made it for us a few times. The results have always been delightful, but what I really desired was to prepare the recipe by myself and obtain those results.

This time I've done it, and I want to share the secret with you. Be aware and free your feet, there we go.

BLACKBERRY JAM

This is an old recipe that has passed from elder generations to younger ones in my family. It takes time to be prepared, but the results are well worth. We make it at home every year when it's time for blackberries; it has became a tasty tradition that no one wants to miss.

1 kg blackberries
600 gr organic natural cane sugar
1 apple
Skin of one lemon
1/2 teacup water

·In a pot, put the blackberries, sugar, skin of lemon in different slices and water. Let rest all night.
·Add the apple, peeled and sliced. Bring the pot to a boil and then cook over low heat for about two or three hours. Let rest all night.
·Sterilize the jam pots your are going to use by applying a bain-marie technique.
·Blend the jam and pour it into the pots. Close them and boil them to the bain-marie for a few more minutes.
·It keeps in the fridge for weeks. You can serve it the way you like the most!