I found myself Thursday walking around the NC Farmer’s Market in Raleigh. I was amazed the market was just as packed and busy as if it was a weekend.
Luckily, Blueberry season is in and it gave me an idea! I had purchased a box of fruit pectin on a whim of making strawberry jam but never got around to it during the season. Blueberries would make a fine jam, too. Two pints of organic blueberries were $5.00 so it sounded like a good idea and I have never made jam before. It was an amazingly quick process!
1) Wash the Blueberries and remove any stems.
2) Mash the Blueberries with a potato masher. I left some whole.
3) Add the sugar, mix well and allow them to sit for half-an-hour to overnight.
4) In the meantime, add the fruit pectin to water and bring it to a boil.
5) Boil for about half an hour, stirring constantly and it should become a thick jelly.
6) Pour the pectin over the berries and sugar mixture.
7) Mix thoroughly.
8) Ladle or pour immediately into clean jars. Allow to cool a little before screwing the lids on tight.
9) Leave about an inch and a half room for expansion. It may take several hours to a day for the jam to set and thicken.
10) Freeze if you are not going to consume it right away. Allow the jam to thaw for a few hours before using it.
Adapted from Sure Jell No Cook Blueberry Jam recipe on the Sure Jell Fruit Pectin package insert.
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/surejell-blueberry-jam-51002.aspx