Blueberry Balsamic Jam and the Joys of Small Batch Canning

There’s a French fable by La Fontaine that French kids are taught in school called La Cigale et la Fourmi (the Cricket and the Ant) which could become the motto of any canning enthusiast. It tells the story of the fun-loving cricket who sang all summer long while the ant diligently built up his food reserves for the winter. When the starving cricket comes begging for food, the ant glibly tells him to dance for his supper. I felt like the wise little ant all winter every time I reached into my pantry for another bright jar of summer jam.

Canning is a food project I had been meaning to try for years, but only got around to last summer, when many of my suburban Ohio minivan drives took me past gorgeous pick your own fruit fields. I remember my mother’s apple jelly making as lengthy, although delicious smelling, afternoons, and the effort always seemed too daunting. I preferred to just enjoy the summer bounty right then and there without troubling myself with too much slogging at the stove. But childhood memories are often distorted, and as soon as I bought my first set of jars last summer and started making jam, I was hooked. Making jams and jellies doesn’t take long and the taste of sweet jams that you made yourself when the yard is covered with snow is enough to make you dance with joy. Every bite is like a little taste of summer sunshine.

I also always assumed that you need huge quantities of fruit to make jam, but to make a batch of eight jars of blueberry jam, you need three pints. Five peaches will yield eight half-pint jars. I’ve been stalking my local supermarket and my farmer’s market for good deals on in season fruit, and making small batches to fill my pantry like an industrious little ant. Then I head back out into the sunshine, with plenty of time to sing and dance along with the frolicking crickets.

Recipe: Quick and Easy Blueberry Jam

Ingredients

3 pints of blueberries (yields 4 cups of crushed berries)
4 cups of sugar
1 box of Sure Jell Pectin

Instructions

Wash your jam jars in warm, soapy water and rinse well. Set on a clean dishtowel.
Set a large pot of water to boil.
Rinse and crush the blueberries. Don’t do this in a blender or food processor as you will get too much of a puree. Instead, you could use a potato masher, or, for the ultimate therapy, just crush them with your fingers. Sensual and relaxing at the same time.
Pour the crushed berries in a separate stock pot. Stir the box of pectin into the fruit and mix well. Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil (this is the type of boil that doesn’t stop when you stir the pot).
As soon as the fruit is boiling, add all the sugar in one fell swoop. Mix well and bring back to a roiling boil, boil for exactly one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and spoon off any foam (it’s yummy to eat).
Ladle the jam into prepared jars quickly, making sure to wipe off the rims of any spilled jams. Cover with lids and with bands, closing them tightly.
Lower the closed jars in the boiling water. There should be at least an inch of water above each jar. Boil each jar for ten minutes.
Remove each jar from boiling water and set out overnight. As jars cool, they should pop, ensuring that each is properly sealed.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 30 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

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Recipe: Blueberry Balsamic Jam with a Hint of Vanilla

Summary: The Balsamic vinegar gives an exciting variation to the simple sweetness of the blueberries.