Spiced Blueberry Jam Food

SPICED BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Prepare a canning pot water bath and four half- pint jars. Place the blueberries in a 12-inch nonreactive skillet. Using a potato masher, mash the blueberries until they're mostly crushed. Stir in the sugar until well combined. Let sit, stirring once or twice, until the sugar begins to dissolve, 5 to 10 minutes. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high, and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid begins to evaporate and the mixture begins to thicken, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Continue to cook until the jam has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more; it is done when you can pull a silicone spatula through the jam and the space you clear stays open for 2 or 3 seconds. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools, so make sure to stop a little shy of your desired thickness. Use a funnel to pour the jam into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars, and put them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to a year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.

SPICED BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Remove any stems from berries. Crush fruit 1 layer at a time. Measure 2 1/4 cups, packed solidly, if necessary, add water to make up amount, pour into very large saucepan or dutch oven.
• Add lemon juice, sugar and spices, mixing well. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring 1 minute Remove from heat and immediately stir in pectin.
• Ladle into hot jelly glasses or jars. Water bath can 10 minutes at 1000 feet. Remove from canner, cool and test lids.

SPICED BLUEBERRY JAMMIN'

Steps:

• For the jam: Place blueberries in saucepan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle with pectin followed by the anise, nutmeg, lemon juice and vinegar. Once liquid starts to gather in bottom of pan, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat slightly and boil gently for five minutes occasionally mashing mixture. Mash in sugar, add the water and return to a boil for 1 minute. You just made jam. Cool, jar, refrigerate and enjoy within 2 weeks. Or, move to the preserving phase. Preserving the jam: Thoroughly wash all hardware in hot soapy water. Then pile everything (excluding the jar lids) into the pot. Cover with hot water by at least 1-inch and bring to a boil and maintain for 10 full minutes to sterilize. Turn off the heat, wait 5 minutes then add the lids (waiting will insure that the sealing compound does not melt). Leave all hardware in the pot until you're ready to can.
• Remove the ladle, tongs, funnel and other tools from the pot, (careful please, it's hot in there) to a clean towel or paper towels. Using the jar tongs, remove and drain the jars, placing them on the towel/paper towel surface. (Avoid rock or metal surfaces which could result in thermal shock and breakage.)
• Place the funnel in the first jar (pick it up by the ring, avoiding the sterile interior.) Use the ladle to fill each jar just to the bottom of the funnel, about 1/3-inch from the bottom of the jar threads. This "headspace" is necessary for the jars to seal during processing.
• Wipe the jar rims with a moist paper towel, checking for any cracks or irregularities as you go. Use the magnetized device of your choice to position lids on each jar. Screw the rings on finger tight. (Remember, the rings don't seal the jars they only hold the lids in place. Heat will drive out the headspace air, which when cooled will create a vacuum, thus sealing the jars)
• Return the jars to the pot being certain that they don't touch the bottom of the pot or each other. (If you don't have a jar rack, try a round cake rack, or metal mesh basket. Even a folded kitchen towel on the pot bottom will do in a pinch.) Add additional water if necessary to cover the jars by at least an inch, and bring to a hard boil over high heat according to the table below. (Be sure not to start your timer until a true boil is reached. The headroom air may bubble out of the jars before a boil is reached. Don't be fooled.)
• Processing times: Within 1,000 feet of sea level: 5 minutes 1,000 - 3,000 feet above sea level: 10 minutes 3,001- 6,000 feet above sea level: 15 minutes 6,000 - 8,000 feet above sea level: 20 minutes Above 8,000 feet: wait until you're back down at base camp.
• Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown

SPICED BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Remove any stems from berries.
• Crush fruit (1 layer at a time). Measure 2 1/2 cups, packed solidly.
• If necessary, add water to make up amount. Pour into large pot.
• Add lemon juice, sugar, and spices, mixing well.
• Bring to a full boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down) and boil, stirring for 1 minute. Remove from heat stir in pectin and immediately ladle into hot jars.

SPICED PEACH AND BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Peel and pit peaches.
• Force through coarse blade of food chopper.
• Wash and pick over berries.
• Combine with peaches in kettle, add water, and bring to boil.
• Cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add sugar and salt.
• Tie spices in a cheesecloth bag and add.
• Bring to boil slowly, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, or until fruit is clear.
• Remove spice bag.
• Ladle into hot sterilized jars, and seal.
• Makes six 8-oz. jars.

SPICED BLUEBERRY HONEY JAM

Steps:

• Place blueberries, sugar, honey, lemon juice and nutmeg in a large saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat and boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Ladle into jars and process 10 minutes in water bath.

CITRUS-SPICED BLUEBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Wash 4 half-pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.
• Combine the blueberries, sugar, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest (add Grand Marnier after the 2 minute boil) in a large, nonaluminum pot. Bring to a full, rolling boil over high heat and boil hard for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the Grand Marnier, if using, and pectin. Note: as the heat builds towards a rolling boil, I press the blueberries on the sides of the pot to release the juices.
• For long-term storage at room temperature, ladle hot jam into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (for 15 minutes at 1,000 to 6,000 feet; for 20 minutes above 6,000 feet).
• For storage in refrigerator or freezer, place in plastic freezer containers or glass jars, cover with tight-fitting lids and refrigerate or freeze.