Blueberries are amazing things. They have a mind of their own to bounce all over the kitchen and they are full of amazing antioxidants (that have been studied to reduce the risk of cancer), they are packed with vitamin C, fiber, and very low in calories. So these preserves are going on everything... Pancakes, PB&J's, and maybe even made into a BBQ sauce.
This was not very difficult to do, just very messy. I stained a pair of shorts and had squished berries on my floor. I ended up with 11 half pint jars of preserves. I may get ambitious tomorrow or so and do some more.
I started with about 12 cups of fresh berries.
I filled up one side of my sink and poured them in... This not only washes them, but helps me to see all the little stems, bugs, whatever that are hanging out with the berries. Move your hands through them and start putting them into a colander
After you have accomplished this, fill up your water bath canner about half way. Start the boiling processes. In the mean time, wash your jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water. Get a big pot out for the berries. Put a sauce pan with enough water for your lids and bands on the stove top on medium heat. Once you have all the canning stuff in line it's time to mash the berries. You can do this in the food processor, but I already had a pile of dishes so I opted to do this the old fashioned way.
For all of the family out there, this is Oma's masher thing to the old food mill thing that was above the stove...
You want to mash them up quite a bit, but you also want to leave some good chunks... Also, feel free to use your hands. Honestly, it might be the best way. Once mashed, add the berries to that large pot we talked about. Turn on the heat. Once the berries start to bubble a little add about 4 cups sugar... I used a dark unprocessed organic pure cane but any will do (I also did less sugar, because that kind is a little on the expensive side). I also added around 4 tablespoons of local honey and the juice from one lemon. Let this start to bubble and get a nice purple foam on top.
Now it's time to sterilize your jars. The water bath should be boiling... Gently lower the jars in and let them hang out for a bit.
Since I'm not using any pectin in this recipe, the mixture has to cook long enough to start to gel. This is tested by putting some of the juice onto a saucer, allowing it to cool, and running your finger through it to check it's thickness.
Once you can run you finger through it and not have it try to run back together it's ready to go into the sterilized jars. Folks, do this on an old towel... Even with a food funnel it makes a hot mess. Fill jars leaving about 1 inch of headspace. Clean the rims of the jars, center the lids, and hand tighten the bands. Your water bath should still be boiling so place the jars on the rack (I was able to do 8 half pint jars in my canner) and gently lower them. Process for 15 minutes.
I kind of got distracted and forgot to take pictures of all of this.
Once the time has gone by, remove the jars with the jar lifter things and place on a towel in a draft free area. You should start to hear the "pings" of the jars sealing. These are the outcomes.
I'm pretty excited about trying these...
I know this isn't the best tutorial to water bath canning. For a complete one go here. They are doing tomatoes, but you can use this method for anything that's high in acidity.
OoOooOo Kait! Another good way to test the thickness of the preserves is to keep a spoon and a bowl of ice water on hand. You can cool a spoonful of the preserves in the ice water and check its consistency. It is fast and takes less time than waiting for the jam to cool on its own!
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