Pumpin’ Up the Jam! Blueberry Jam, That Is!
Yeah, yeah… I know… it’s like Freezer Jam Spam at this point! Haha! But I promise you, this is the final in the series of Freezer Jam… for THIS Summer (not that I won’t make more when I get good fresh fruit over the other seasons).
We started the series using granulated sugar as the sweetener. Then we tried it with honey to our delight. In this freezer jam, Blueberry, we used agave which is a HIT! Playing with ingredients is so much fun. Adapting recipes to suit your preferred dietary considerations is what it’s all about. And remember that sweet is a treat that ideally shouldn’t be an every meal indulgence for optimal health!
So blueberries… a top antioxidant! So good and so good for you. Pretty and satisfying. They can be popped into most anything. You know my love of a sweet savory combo. This jam can be spiced up with ancho chili pepper and added to grilled lamb – yeah!
Again, we used Pomona Universal Pectin which is vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and preservative free. Each box will see you through 2-4 batches of jam.
Here’s how:
http://https://youtu.be/vCEGNKES0xY
INGREDIENTS:
• 2-2.5 pints fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup agave sweetener
• 1 pkg pectin for low sugars or other sweeteners
• 3/4 cup water
• empty jars with lids – enough to hold about 40 oz jam
DIRECTIONS:
1) Wash and mash blueberries to measure 4 cups.
2) In a bowl, add blueberries and agave. Mix well.
3) The pectin pack has an envelope of white calcium powder. Place contents in an empty jar with 1/2 cup water and shake it up. Put to the side.
4) Add water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour water into blender or food processor and add 3 teaspoons pectin powder. Blend for 1-2 minutes to fully dissolve.
5) Add pectin to blueberries agave mixture and mix well.
6) Grab your jar of white calcium mixture and add 8 teaspoons to the blueberries agave mixture. Mix well – it will start to gel (if you want a thicker gel, add more).
6) Fill the jars/containers – leave about 1/2” empty from the top for expansion – and cover with lids.
7) Refrigerate or freeze. Will last 3 weeks in the fridge, up to a year in the freezer.
Due to the nature of blueberries, we found the jam to be a great balance of sweet and tart – perfection! If you don’t want to mash the blueberries by hand, give them only a literal 2-second buzz in a blender/food processor or they will be soup. Agave has a non-overwhelming fresh sweetness that compliments the blueberries wonderfully.
Thanks to Christal for pumpin’ up the jam with me again!!
Yum!
Annette
