Blueberry Jam

Leftover blueberries hanging around? Make a yummy and quick jam. Blueberries have quite a bit of natural pectin in them, so jam comes together pretty darn quickly. And it has such a lovely color and texture. This can also be used as a syrup on pancakes, waffles or pound cake or angel food cake. The recipe is from my Put Em Up canning cookbook.

Classic Blueberry Jam
Ingredients:

4 cups blueberries
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup bottle lemon juice

1. Combine the berries with a splash of water in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring and crushing the berries to release their juice. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Stir in the lemon juice. Continue to cook at a steady boil, stirring frequently, until the jam reaches the desired gel.

2. Remove from the heat and let the jam rest for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to release air bubbles. Skim off any foam.

3. Use the boiling-water method. Ladle into clean, hot half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Release trapped air. Wipe the rims clean; center lids on the jars and screw on jar bands. Process for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours. Check seals, then store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

This made 2 1/2-pint jars.