Wild Blueberry Jam

Oh yes I've been productive this week. We picked two gallons of wild blueberries at Tangle Lakes in July and I promised Grace we'd make jam. It is best with half wild, half domestic berries to get the most of both varieties. There's just nothing prettier than seeing jars of jam lined up and there's nothing better than tasting the results of your labors.

Blueberry Jam:
4-1/2 cups prepared fruit (buy about 4 pt. fully ripe blueberries)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
7 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine
2 pouches Certo Fruit Pectin

Crush blueberries and measure exactly 4-1/2 cups prepared blueberries into 6- or 8-qt. saucepan. Stir in lemon juice.

Stir sugar into prepared blueberries in saucepan. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle jam immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Invert jars on top of a towel for five minutes then tip right side up once again. This causes the jam to seal properly.

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Technorati tags: Wordless Wednesday, blueberry jam, canning, Tangle Lakes, Alaska