As the summer heats up fruit is in season and you can find it everywhere! In Michigan U-pick farms will be open for strawberries and blueberries. You can pick up several points quickly, but you may not use them all. Instead I chose to turn some of those ripe berries into jams so I can enjoy that fresh flavor all year.
Making your own jam is surprisingly easy and something that you can make with only a few ingredients. If you have a favorite jam, just grab your favorite berries and make your own in no time!
Ingredients:
- 6 cups blueberries, washed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 pouch (3 ounces) liquid fruit pectin
Directions:
- Wash and sort your blueberries, make sure you get our any stems or bad berries in the mix.
- Place 3/4 of your berries in the pan and use your potato masher to smash them until they start to release their juices. Add in your lemon juice and sugar to the pan and mix well. Heat over medium heat until the mixture starts to boil and your sugar is dissolved.
- Add in your last 1/4 of your berries and your package of liquid pectin. Return your mixture to a boil and allow to boil over medium high heat. Let it boil for one minute.
- Remove from heat and ladle into warm jars.
- Process using the instructions below for 10 minutes.
Canning Instructions:
- Place 8 clean pint jars on a rack in your stock pot. Fill the jars and stock pot with cool water until it completely covers the top of the jars. Cover and put on medium heat. Simmer but do not boil.
- Prepare 8 lid sets, put the bands aside and put the flat lids in a small sauce pan and put on medium heat. Do not boil, but keep warm through the whole process.
- Prepare your ingredients according to the directions above.
- Now, remove the jars from the warm bath. Tip them as you pull them out and pour the water back into the pan. Place them on a towel on the counter with the opening up. Do not dry them! Just put them down and put the funnel in. Put your ingredients in your jars. into each jar until there is about 1/2 inch of space in the top. Once all jars are full, take a plastic or wooden utensil and move it around to get extra air bubbles out.
- Take the small magnet tool and remove flat lids from their hot bath. Place over top of each jar. By hand screw on the collars, but not too tight! Remember some air still needs to get out of each jar.
- Place the jars back into the hot stock pot and replace the lid. Turn your temperature up to high. When it starts to do a rolling boil, start a timer for 10 minutes.
- After the jars have processed for 10 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the lid to the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove all the jars without tipping them and place them back on the towel. Remember – don’t towel them off!
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Looks yummy! However between my husband and son not sure we would have any left over to can!
Nothing like the fresh MI blueberries! Just got a 20lb box from the farmers market – they lasted all of 3 days!
I forced myself to not eat them – it’s a lot harder than you’d think 🙂
I was wondering what you do with the other 1/4 of the blueberries?
Add them in with the sugar and lemon – I’ll add that note 🙂
I am looking forward to trying the maple. It sounds great.
Does it have to be liquid pectin? I can never find the liquid kind anywhere. Could you used powdered instead?
I used Liquid but I don’t know why the same amount of powdered wouldn’t work! This is one of the few recipes I’ve actually used liquid in 🙂
[…] Blueberry Jam […]
I followed the direction to the “t” using pint jars and it was supposed to say 1/2 pint jars. The amount of product only came out to 3 pints which would have equaled about 8 half pints. All that for only 3 jars! Disappointed…