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Well, as is typical this time of year, my blueberry bush is exploding and I was looking for something beyond blueberry pie (and muffins, and pancakes, etc.) to do with them and I came across this interesting recipe for small batch, honey-sweetened, blueberry jam. It looked interesting, especially since I love honey, so I thought I'd give it a whirl.
The recipe is simplicity itself...
1.5 pounds blueberries
8 oz honey
juice of half a lemon (I didn't have any lemons so I used 1 tablespoon of lime juice)
Wash the berries, then add to a large skillet. Apparently a wide skillet with straight sides is best because we want the berries in a thin layer so the heat can penetrate quickly. More on that later.
Mash the berries well and mix in the honey and lemon juice.
Bring to a boil and reduce for about 10 minutes. When you draw a spatula or spoon through it, it should leave a clear trail for a little bit.
That's it, you're done. At this point you can store it in the refrigerator, or process in a water bath canner for longer storage.
The recipe makes 2-3 half pints of jam. I was able to get a pint jar and a half pint jar full.
Now, back to why you use the wide skillet instead of a pot. From what I read you need the berries to heat up rapidly, otherwise the pectin from the berries won't react correctly and the jam won't setup nice and firm. I suppose if you want to make syrup that would be fine. This is also the reason why it makes a very small batch. The original recipe warned not to try to double the recipe because it won't setup right, instead make several small batches and combine them.
Anyway, I love the taste of this stuff and will definitely make some more as soon as the next batch of berries from my bush are ready. I might experiment with some herbs in the mix as well. Maybe sage, or mint. Or maybe some lavender from my bush. We'll see.
The recipe is simplicity itself...
1.5 pounds blueberries
8 oz honey
juice of half a lemon (I didn't have any lemons so I used 1 tablespoon of lime juice)
Wash the berries, then add to a large skillet. Apparently a wide skillet with straight sides is best because we want the berries in a thin layer so the heat can penetrate quickly. More on that later.
Mash the berries well and mix in the honey and lemon juice.
Bring to a boil and reduce for about 10 minutes. When you draw a spatula or spoon through it, it should leave a clear trail for a little bit.
That's it, you're done. At this point you can store it in the refrigerator, or process in a water bath canner for longer storage.
The recipe makes 2-3 half pints of jam. I was able to get a pint jar and a half pint jar full.
Now, back to why you use the wide skillet instead of a pot. From what I read you need the berries to heat up rapidly, otherwise the pectin from the berries won't react correctly and the jam won't setup nice and firm. I suppose if you want to make syrup that would be fine. This is also the reason why it makes a very small batch. The original recipe warned not to try to double the recipe because it won't setup right, instead make several small batches and combine them.
Anyway, I love the taste of this stuff and will definitely make some more as soon as the next batch of berries from my bush are ready. I might experiment with some herbs in the mix as well. Maybe sage, or mint. Or maybe some lavender from my bush. We'll see.
This would end up really expensive with store bought berries...
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