It's red-hot outside. White butterflies and bumblebees are the only living things daring to face the heat. It’s that time of year...the blue-berry-ing, where I torture my daughter, step-sons, husband, and myself by journeying out into the heat wave to pick copious amounts of blueberries. It has become our tradition, first with just the boys, then with our daughter in the car seat while I picked, now a game of hide-and-seek and hopefully picking more than eating as the four year old “helps”. Despite the heat, the canning in the heat, the moment of panicked chaos and smoke alarms this morning, it’s all worth it. We go to Rocky Point Farm in Warwick (which is for sale), this year picking 17 pounds and possibly going back again for more. We pick for the year, and did a good estimate at 20 pounds last year, using the last of 2010’s berries three weeks ago. Here’s our routine: Pick the berries, obviously going for the bluest ones. The almost purple ones are great. I’ve learned from experience to pick mid-season, which for Rhode island, is now. Picking too early, the berries are tart and there are caterpillars to contend with. After we pick and pay (at just over a dollar a pound – compare that to the supermarket!), we bring it all home. Usually I triple wash it as soon as we walk in the door, but I had plans and it was miserably hot. So up at 6 a.m., I filled the sink with cold water and berries, stirring them and picking out stems, leaves, and less-savory looking berries. The kids did well: few berries to discard, barely any stems. I drained the sink and filled it again. More stems, but still a great harvest. One more rinse and only one caterpillar. Then in small amounts so their own weight doesn’t crush the berries below, I drain the berries in a colander, then make a single layer on a towel to pat them dry. Blueberries freeze exceptionally well, but my freezer loves adding ice to things, so the drier the better. We freeze most of it, using the berries throughout the year for muffins, pancakes, cake, pie, and cereal. Some goes in the fridge for snacking. The rest becomes jam.
Usually I follow a recipe using Grande Marnier, an orange-flavored liqueur. This year, I wanted to mix it up a bit, test a new pectin, and make the recipe more my own. So with four changes to the original, this recipe gels well and is one of the easier jams to make. Providing you don’t drop the spoon into the pan while simultaneously washing and drying other berries only to have the mixture overflow and start burning on the stove while you’re trying to fish out the spoon in molten sugar and two smoke detectors are going off a 7 in the morning while the teenagers are oblivious sleeping...but I digress. Here’s the recipe for success:
This recipe requires a pressure-canner. Hot-water baths work well for pickling, since you’re working with a high-acid food and boiling temperature is hot enough to kill off any pathogens. Pressure-canners exceed boiling temperature and therefore can preserve low-acid foods. Blueberry jam falls in the middle, so I preserve at 10 psi to be safe. Have all your equipment washed and sterilized before you begin. Glass jars are sterile after 30 minutes of boiling. Lids only take a minute; overheating will damage the rubber ring. Have a thick towel on the counter to place hot jars on the prevent temperature shock to the glass. Use the largest spoon you have so you don’t lose it in molten sugar. Keep distractions at bay; the recipe goes quick. Most canners need to vent 10 minutes before the gauge is put on and the pressure-timing begins. Check manufacturer’s instructions. Use a pot-holder when putting gauge on, as steam will be escaping and could cause burns. After processing, remove canner from heat and leave closed at least an hour to let pressure subside. I got a complete canning tool kit for less than $10 through LTD Commodities, which includes a funnel, tongs, magnetic wand to move metal lids, and jar grasper. It’s easy to get burned or scalded if you are not careful or don’t have the right equipment. I recommend buying tools made for canning because of this.
Vegetarian
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Blueberry Chambord
Taste of France
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6 cups washed and stemmed blueberries
1/2 cup water
2 tbs. lemon juice
zest of one lemon*
7 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin (such as Certo)
1/4 cup Chambord raspberry liqueur (one nip)
New England summers would not be the same without blueberries. This jam is punched up by the French raspberry liqueur and lemon zest. Combine berries, water, lemon juice, and zest in large sauté pan and let sit ten minutes. Add sugar and mix well, until sugar completely dissolves. Bring mixture to boil and boil hard one minute, stirring constantly and skimming off any foam. Remove from heat and stir in pectin and Chambord. Using a measuring cup, pour into sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/2” head-space. Wipe rims if necessary and attach lids securely. Process in pressure canner according to manufacturer’s instructions, for 10 minutes at 10 psi. Makes 9 pints. (Process 8 and keep one in fridge.)
Try these:
1. Mix blueberry preserves with ricotta or other soft cheese (such as yogurt cheese). Use as spread or crepe filling.
2. Warm preserves and spoon over ice cream.
3. Mix with yogurt.
4. Spread on toast.
5. Serve with pork.
* While most citrus is in season during the cooler New England months, lemons are in season year-round. If you juice a lemon and don’t need the zest right away, you can keep it in a bag in the freezer. It can be zested frozen, but hold it with a towel because it will be cold.
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