How to make berry jam

Cottagecore is all about doing little things that make you happy, such as making home-made jam. After an hour in the kitchen immersed in stirring, bottling and labelling, the berries are transformed into jars of fruity loveliness, ready to be slathered onto hot, buttered toast or a scone.

Foraging wild fruits in autumn

Autumn hedgerows are bursting with delicious edible treasure; fruits such as sloes, blackberries and elderberries are just asking to be picked. So grab a bag or a basket and harvest the wild hedgerows. Foraging is a great way to reconnect with nature while enjoying the last of the fine weather.

Pluck blackberries from bushes to make a fruit crumble, pick bunches of ripe elderberries for a delicious sweet jelly or collect sloes to make gin. Make sure you take a guidebook or expert with you so you know what’s safe to eat, and never eat anything you’re unsure of.

The jam will keep for at least a year if stored in a cool, dry cupboard, but once opened it must be stored in a fridge.