Small Batch Blueberry Jam

Small Batch Blueberry Jam

 

 

A recent visit to Haymarket resulted in purchasing a carton of blueberries at a steal.  I almost felt guilty.  I love interacting with the vendors, and my blueberry vendor had personality plus, a joy to talk to and do business with.  I knew the blueberries had been in the heat all day and would be a little worse for wear, but we love blueberries and they would be used in no time. 

 

I asked my husband if he had any preferences.  I made blueberry sauce for waffles, blueberry pancakes, blueberry salsa, blueberry muffins . . . you know, the usual.  What does he ask for?  Blueberry jam. 



 

I’ve never made blueberry jam before, and I don’t have canning equipment, so I thought I’d just do a small batch.  I looked at many recipes, but they either had too much sugar, too many ingredients or needed pectin.  I eliminated recipes with pectin because blueberries already have pectin in them, so why bother?  Also, most recipes had a ton of sugar.  I prefer a jam that tasted as naturally blueberry as possible.  So I decided to give it a whirl and make my own concoction.  It came out perfect so I thought I’d share.

 

 Small Batch Blueberry Jam

 

 4 Cups fresh blueberries

 

1 Cup sugar

 

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 

Generous pinch of cinnamon

 

 Mix all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Using a potato masher, give the mixture a good mashing. Cook over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Before & After

 

That’s all there is to it.  Simple. 

• Be sure to stir constantly so the jam doesn’t burn. 
• It makes a smidgeon over a 1 cup of jam.  
• The blueberry skins do break down, but if you would like a smoother jam, you can use your immersion blender. 
• The jam should be good for a month, if it lasts that long.

Enjoy!