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canning kettle rack Mason mouth canning funnel Canning tongs ladle paper lids saucepan masher Nutmeg grater blueberries packet star anise nutmeg lemon juice cider vinegar sugar water
Viewed: 41 - Published at: 3 years agoIngredients
- Large stockpot or canning kettle
- Jar rack or cake cooling rack (for holding filled jars off the floor of the pot
- 6 (8-ounce) Mason style preserving jars with lids and bands
- Wide mouth canning funnel (technically optional, practically indispensable)
- Canning tongs (specially made for snatching jars in and out of very hot situations
- Large (8-ounce) ladle
- Paper towels or dishtowels
- Magnetized "lid-wand" or magnet tool from hardware store (optional, but how else you gonna get hold of those darned lids)
- Medium-large saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Hand masher
- Nutmeg grater (optional)
- 2 (12-ounce) bags frozen blueberries
- One (1 3/4-ounce) packet dry pectin
- 1/4 teaspoon star anise, ground fine
- 10 to 20 grinds fresh nutmeg (or 1/4 teaspoon pre-ground)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) cider vinegar
- 3 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Method
- 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.
