A few years ago, my sweet neighbor offered to show me how to make canned blueberry jam. It was DELICIOUS but super time-consuming. So, I decided to try the same recipe, but skip the canning part.
Here's the recipe:
4 and 1/2 cups crushed blueberries
6 Tablespoons unsweetened pectin
5 cups sugar
1 and 1/3 Tablespoons grated lime peel
1/3 cup fresh lime juice.
(Recipe adapted from Ball's Blue Book Guide to Preserving.)
First, smoosh all of the blueberries in a big pot. Honestly, this was the most time consuming step. I used a fork to press down on those blueberries until they squished.
Next, add the pectin and allow to come to a gentle boil. While this happens, zest and juice your limes. I added a heaping tablespoon of zest because yum. (I zested two limes and needed to squeeze almost 3 limes to get 1/3 cup of lime juice.)
Add the sugar, zest, and lime juice. Stir all ingredients over medium heat until combined. As the blueberries heat, they'll turn a beautiful purple color.
Once the sugar is dissolved, bring mixture to a boil for about a minute or two, and then take off the heat. You might notice that the jam is quite watery and not too thick. That's okay. It'll thicken when it cools.
Ladle into super clean jars that have been washed with soap and very hot water. At this point, the jam mixture is very hot so be careful not to spill any (on yourself or your clothes). Leave at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch space at the top (so the jam has room to adjust if you decide to freeze it). Wipe any smeared jam off the jars, particularly along the top rim so the lids don't stick. Refrigerate overnight to allow jam to thicken.
This recipe makes about 14 four-ounce jars of jam. (I kept two in my fridge and froze the rest for later.) Delicious!
*If you'd like to can this recipe, I highly recommend that you get Ball's Blue Book Guide to Preserving for detailed instructions and great recipes.
Let's make stuff,
Lynn
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