Photo and text by April McGreger, Farmer’s Daughter Pickles and Preserves

Blueberry preserves from Farmers Daughter pickles and preserves Photo by April McGreger

These chunky blueberry preserves reign supreme over pectin-pumped blueberry jam.  Fully ripened fruit contains less pectin, so when making preserves, I like to use one-fourth just under-ripe fruit.  I also love to throw in a few of my favorite herbs from my backyard herb bed, but you can leave them out if you prefer. Put some of these preserves away now, and you’ll no longer relegate your jam to peanut butter sandwiches, but will instead be spooning it over everything from crepes to yogurt to rice pudding and ice cream, and my favorite, cornmeal pancakes for the perfect breakfast.        

Blueberry-Lemon Verbena Preserves 

Ingredients

  • 8 cups blueberries (2 quarts)
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • A handful of lemon verbena leaves, torn into bite size pieces (optional)

Directions

Pick over the blueberries to remove any leaves, stems, or twigs. Rinse the berries, drain well, and place in a wide, large, heavy bottomed pot with the sugar and lemon juice and toss.

Place 2 small plates in the freezer.  Bring the berries and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a hard boil and boil for 10 minutes until the juice has thickened. Watch it closely.  Scrape the bottom of the pan often towards the end to be sure the preserves are not sticking, but be gentle with the berries.  Add a dab of butter to the preserves to reduce foaming if necessary and skim carefully to remove any foam excess foam.

The syrup should reach 221 degrees in order to gel properly, or you can use the plate test to check the set. Check the set of the preserves by removing a plate from the freezer and dropping a spoonful of preserves liquid on it. Return it to the freezer for 2 minutes, then gently nudge the edge of the syrup with your finger. It should crinkle. If the preserves are too thin, return to a boil for 2 more minutes check again.

When the preserves pass the crinkle test, toss in the lemon verbena leaves and simmer for another minute.

Ladle very hot preserves into very hot, 8 oz. sterilized jars and top with hot sterilized two-piece lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 7 minutes.

You can sterilize your jars and lids in a steadily simmering hot water bath for 10 minutes or in a 275 degree oven for 15 minutes. Check out the National Center for Food Preservation for detailed instructions on water bath canning. http://nchfp.uga.edu

When the preserves are jarred, set aside and do not disturb for 24 hours.  When completely cool, check the lids to see that they sealed properly by pressing the button on the top of the jar. If the button pops back, store the preserves in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.

Makes about 5 half-pints.

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Variation: Spiced Blueberry Chutney  

This blueberry chutney is simply blueberry preserves nudged in the savory direction by sautéed shallots, a spot of red wine vinegar, and a little spice.  It pairs very well with camembert-type cheeses, goat cheese, wild game, roasted duck, pork, and pate.   It also makes a lovely replacement for cranberry sauce with roast turkey at Thanksgiving so make a point to put some aside now.

Decrease the sugar to 2 cups.

Before bringing the blueberries and sugar to a boil, first sauté ½ cup chopped shallots and 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger in 2 Tablespoons olive oil.

After the sugar is dissolved and the preserves are boiling, add ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon of fresh ground white pepper, 1 bay leaf, and a pinch each of freshly ground nutmeg and ground allspice.

Cook until thick, about 10 minutes.  Check the set using the plate test.

Ladle the chutney into sterilized 8 oz.  jars, top with sterilized lids and process in a boiling water bath for 7 minutes.

 

Want to learn more? Visit the Farmer’s Daughter’s website.