We are overrun with these things.

An Asian invader, Rubus phoenicolasius (commonly known around here as wineberries) annually threatens to take over our 1 acre universe.  The problem:  They taste really good.  To birds and animals and insects and…us.

I do my part in trying to stop the spread of this noxious weed by picking them.  Wouldn’t want the birds to keep spreading those seeds, now would I?

I decided to turn one morning’s harvest of berries into a luscious treat – Wineberries with Chocolate.

The recipe comes from Christine Ferber’s book Mes Confitures.

Begin with 2-3/4 pounds of wineberries.

Measure 3-1/2 cups of sugar into a bowl.  Next, juice a lemon.  Measure out 5 ounces of extra bittersweet chocolate.  Her original recipe called for 9 ounces of chocolate, but I thought it was a bit too much, and overpowered the wineberry flavor.

I use this – Ghirardelli 72% cacao extra bittersweet chocolate.  It’s yummy.  If you use a bar of chocolate, grate it.  Since these are small chips, I put them into a plastic bag and whack them with a rolling pin to make smaller pieces that will dissolve better in the jam.

Puree the berries to remove the seeds.  If you don’t have a food mill, you can use a mesh sieve and push the pulp through with a spoon.  Trust me, that gets old quickly.

After a few minutes, you’ll have juicy puree in the bowl and a ton of seeds left in the food mill.

Now we’re ready to start jammin’.  Put the puree into a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot (I use one that is at least 6 quarts).  Use a large pot – you do not want to experience the mess of jam boiling over.  Ask me how I know.

Add the sugar and the lemon juice.  Start heating the jam.

Bring it to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir it gently and skim off the foam as it appears.  You’ll get some seeds out as well.

Turn off the heat and add the chocolate.  Stir the chocolate in until it’s melted.

Put the jam into a glass or ceramic bowl and cover.  Refrigerate overnight.

I learned this tip from a poster, ReadingLady, on GardenWeb’s Harvest Forum:
Use a large 2 quart measuring cup (bowl, really).  Then you’ll know how much jam you have and you’ll know how many jars to prepare.  Boil a few extra anyway.

The next day, we’re ready to complete the process.  Get your jars washed, your rings and lids prepared and your BWB (boiling water bath) ready to go.

This is the latest addition to my canning gizmo collection – a new stainless steel canner.  Ain’t it purty?

We’re only going to BWB the jam for 5 minutes, so the jars need to be sterilized.  Put them into the boiling water and boil for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, start the jam.

Pour the raspberry chocolate mixture back into your stockpot and bring to a boil.  Continue to cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring gently to prevent scorching.  If your stirring has caused the jam to stop boiling, turn up the heat and return it to a boil.

Notice there aren’t any pictures here – my hands were busy stirring and testing the set.

Because this jam does not contain any added pectin, the natural pectin in the wineberries, along with the sugar, is what makes the jam “set up” or get thick.

If you have a candy thermometer, the temperature should be 220-221°.  Any lower and it won’t set.  Any higher and it may overcook.

To test, take a small plate and put it in the freezer.  Spoon out a little jam (remove the pot from the heat while you’re doing this) and pour it on the plate.  Check the consistency and see if it is the way you like it.  If not quite done, return the pot to high heat and continue cooking until the consistency is the way you like it.  Slightly runny is OK – makes it easier to pour this over ice cream.  If anything, I tend to err on the side of slightly undercooked rather than overcooked and gummy.

Take your jars out of the boiling water and fill, using a canning funnel and a small ladle.  Fill to within 1/4″ of the top of the jar.  Wipe the rim clean and cap with a lid and a ring.

Process in the BWB for 5 minutes (start timing when the water has returned to a gentle rolling boil).  After the 5 minutes is up, remove the canner lid and let the jars sit in the water for another 5 minutes.

Take them out (use a jar lifter, please) and place on a towel.  Let cool.  After 24 hours, remove the rings, wash the jars if needed and your jam is ready for the pantry!

I used both half-pint (8 oz.) and quarter-pint (4 oz.) jars.  This batch yielded 3 half-pints and 4 quarter-pint jars.

For reference, here is Christine Ferber’s original recipe:

Raspberry with Chocolate

2 3/4 lbs (1.2 kg) raspberries, or 2 1/4 lbs (1 kg) net
3 1/2 cups (750g) sugar
Juice of one lemon
9 oz (250g) extra bittersweet (68% cocoa) chocolate

Pick over the raspberries. Omit rinsing them so as to keep their fragrance. Put the raspberries through a food mill (fine disk). In a preserving pan, mix the raspberry pulp with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring gently and skimming carefully. Add the chocolate, grated. Mix and then pour into a ceramic bowl. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

Next day return the mixture to a boil. Continue cooking on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring and skimming if needed. Return to a boil. Check the set. Put the jam into jars immediately and seal.

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