Simply Rurban

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As mentioned, we go blueberry picking several times during blueberry season.  I try to have about 30 pounds of blueberries in the freezer to get us through to the following season.  We use the blueberries in smoothies, on and in our pancakes, on our oatmeal, for baking and eating – frozen blueberries hit the spot.  The beginning of the blueberry season also fell in line with the end of the strawberry season this year.  I cannot eat any berries with the seeds on the outside, a real bummer, but Stella LOVES strawberries.  We picked up some strawberries from a local farm and I decided to give it a go at making blueberry, strawberry jam.  Could not find a recipe to follow – so using the basic jam making guidelines came up with our own recipe.  This one is a hit.  We are also a little behind in our jam naming – still don’t have a fun name for the cherry preserves we made a couple of weeks ago or this one!  Any ideas send them along!

Blueberry & Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

6 cups of cut/mashed fruit – any combination, just needs to equal 6 cups total
Pectin (a little more than one box or 7 Tbl from jar)
2 cups of sugar
1/4 lemon juice

Items Needed

6 – 7 Half pint canning jars
Jar lids
Jar grabber
Funnel
Spoon/ladle
2 large pots
1 small sauce pan
Immersion blender or Foley mill

1. Wash the jars and lids in soapy water and then place the jars into a large pot, fill with water and bring to a boil – this will sterilize the jars.  You can do this step with a dishwasher, but I do not have one.  Once the jars come to a boil – let boil for about 5 minutes and then turn the heat off, keep lid on. Place the lids in a small pot and fill with water – set aside.

2. Wash the strawberries  and cut them up into a glass bowl.  Using an immersion blender – blend the strawberries.  I like to have chunks of fruit in my jam, but blend to the consistency you prefer.  Place the pureed strawberries into a glass measuring cup.

3. Wash the blueberries and place in a glass bowl – puree with an immersion blender.  Place the blueberries in the measuring cup.  You want to have 6 cups of fruit total.  I did all the strawberries we had and then made up the difference with blueberries.

4. Mix about 1 1/4 box of pectin with a 1/4 cup of sugar in a bowl.  You want to mix the pectin with sugar to prevent clumping.  I buy my pectin in a large container – so I used about 7 Tbl.

5. Place a metal spoon in the freezer.
6. Place the fruit in a large pot, add the pectin and sugar mixture and  lemon juice – this is to help with the acidity level.  Bring to a hard boil (when you can’t stir the bubbles away).

7. Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining sugar.  I chose to use very little sugar – total 2 cups – but you can use up to 4 cups.  The fruit to me is already sweet.  Bring the mixture back to a boil – the slower you do this the less foam will form.

8. Place the pot with the lids on the stove and bring the water to almost a boil and then turn off water.

9. Take the jars out of the water and place on a dish cloth lined counter top.  Get your funnel ready.  Also take the lids out and place on dish towel.

10. Place the lid back on the pot of water that the jars were in and turn the heat on to get the water bath ready.  You want the water boiling when you put the jars back in.

11.  Once the preserve mixture has come to a boil again – then you are almost ready.  Take the spoon out of the freezer and scoop a little of the mixture onto the spoon – let cool to room temperature – if the consistency is to your liking – turn the heat off – if not wash off the spoon stick back in the freezer, add a little more pectin to the mix, stir and let cook for a few minutes more – then test with spoon.

12. Using the funnel and ladle – fill jars to about 1/4″ from the top.

13. Wipe off the tops of each jar – you want a clean surface.   Place the lids on each jar and then place ring and tighten.

14.  Using a jar grabber, place each jar back into the boiling water and place the lid back on.  Allow to boil for at least 5 minutes (according to Clemson University), but I usually do for 10 minutes.

15. Take the jars out and place on dish cloth.  Listen for the pop – this is the jar sealing.  If the jar does not seal – turn upside down and allow to sit like that for about 15 – 20 and the jar should seal – if not that is the jar that you will use right away.

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