I could have simply bought blueberries somewhere for my Blueberry Maple Jam. Instead, I seized the moment and headed out to Critz Farms, south of Cazenovia, to pick them fresh. It took about an hour and a half to pick a couple quarts plus a pint -- more than enough for jam (and more for my freezer stash).
I had the place to myself on a mostly sunny Friday afternoon, and headed to the back of the rows to "pick forward." It as there I hit the Mother Lode of perfectly ripe, purplish-blue berries.
It was relatively cool out, with a nice breeze, so I washed the berries the night before and air-dried them in a colander, picking off small stems here and there. I also assembled my gear and tools the night before: jars, lids, rings, pot and small pan so I would be ready to roll first thing in the morning.
Oops -- I forgot to snap a photo of the jars! Since this was a small batch of jam, I placed a thick kitchen towel at the bottom of a pot, then added the jars and plenty of water. A towel adds some padding, so the jars aren't rattling in the pot of boiling water.
The recipe was a new one to me: Blueberry Maple Syrup Jam, from "Preserving by the Pint'' by Marisa McClellan. McClellan is a food writer, food blogger ("Food in Jars'') and Canning Goddess. Keep reading for more on the book. Full disclosure: Kimberly Cook of Cook's Maple in Sherburne, gave me a half-pint jug of dark amber maple syrup to try in the recipe. In exchange, she gets a jar of jam.
If you're new to canning and making jam, blueberries are an excellent fruit to start with.
The jam has just four ingredients: Blueberries, maple syrup, brown sugar and lemon juice. It took about 15 minutes of cook time at medium-high heat. I like how some of the blueberries are still somewhat intact in the jar, giving it nice texture.
In the end, we have four quarter-pint and one half-pint jar of jam -- the small jars are great for holiday gift giving.
At first taste, the Blueberry Maple Jam does not "scream" maple. The maple flavor is subtle and may become more pronounced as the jam settles in the jar. But the flavor is present just enough to maybe make you say, "Mmmm.... What's in there?'' I'm looking forward to swirling the jam in our favorite vanilla yogurt, and spooning it on top of pancakes or waffles on a winter morning.
A few words about "Preserving By the Pint: Quick Seasonal Canning for Small Spaces''
The other is Marisa McClellan's overall approach to canning. She uses no fancy equipment and gear, just kitchen basics like pots and pans and spatulas and tongs. McClellan's jams are lower in sugar than traditional recipes and do not call for added pectin. The recipes are straightforward, beautifully photographed and grouped seasonally -- to encourage the reader to "put up" in all seasons, not strictly in summer.
The thing I hear most often when I tell people that we can is that they are intimidated by the process and freeze in fear when they see words like "boiling water bath." This book walks you through the steps in way that's easy to understand and gets you excited to try things that are new and different -- like Raspberry Habanero Jam, Blueberry Maple Jam and Pickled Pepper Rings.
If you've been thinking about canning, pick up a copy of "Preserving by the Pint'' and take the plunge!
