Picked the last of the organic blueberries of the season with Taylor and Papa at Blueberry Hill Farm yesterday. Delicious no sugar jam made in my beautiful Weck canning jars (no plastic or BPA).
Blueberry Jam Recipe
8 cups mashed blueberries
1 1/3 cups thawed apple or grape juice concentrate (I used Cascadian Farm Organic apple)
1/4 cup bottle lemon juice (I used organic, not from concentrate)
6 Tblspns Ball RealFruit Low/no sugar pectin
Combine fruit, fruit juice, and lemon juice in large saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin and bring mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Taste. If you must, add a little sugar, honey, or maple syrup to sweeten further.
Ladle into hot jam jars (no need to sterilize - they should be clean and hot) and leave 1/4-1/2 inch headspace (refer to your specific canning jar instructions). Apply seals and place into a canner of hot water (jars must be covered wtih 1-2" of water). Bring water to gentle, steady boil. Process for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude). Remove jars and cool. Check lids/seals per manufacturer instructions.
My Waste:
Blueberries - none
Pectin - came in a plastic container (which I can recycle) so I'll need to figure out a way to can without pectin to avoid plastic or find a brand in a cardboard container (Pomona's?). You can go without pectin if you use sugar (which I am trying to avoid). It is easy to find sugar in bulk. For more info: http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/jam_without_pectin.html
Lemon Juice - bottle can be reused or recycled. Not sure why you can't use fresh lemon juice for canning. I'll need to research this further.
Juice Concentrate - The juice can is recyclable except for the plastic (ugh) pull thing that seals the container.
Okay, guess I have some work to do. But, a good start and I can't wait to dig into my jam!
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ReplyDeleteGreat idea for a blog! (Really great you left the job - good for you - I heard all about it from V.)
DeleteHere is the link for the following info:
http://localfoods.about.com/od/preparationtips/tp/Safety-Tips-For-Home-Canning.htm
Use Bottled Lemon Juice
When canning tomatoes, use bottled lemon juice or Fruit Fresh citric acid for standardized acidity. Fresh lemon juice varies in acidity and can threaten food safety when working with tomatoes or low-acid foods.
I make my own lemon juice - http://www.pickyourown.org/lemonjuice.htm
It is really wonderful that many are now 'going back to the old days'... As a child we ate organic fruits and veggies that were purchased from little farm stands on the side of the road... we didn't have the chemicals and pesticides then that are used now. And "farmer's markets" were not aimed at the 'non-locals' and were not expensive as they are today. We have a local organic farmer here in Southfield that brings his truck load of fresh produce to the church parking lot once a week and sells everything at very low prices. I also grew up without plastic - no such thing as plastic grocery bags, plastic milk, juice, soda bottles, no plastic diapers, no BPA, no microwaves and all that crappy microwaveable food - then everything changed and we had these 'modern conveniences' that have ultimately destroyed us and our planet!
ReplyDeleteMy garden isn't supplying me with all my veggies right now but more lettuce, kale, and radishes on the way. When does the farmer/truck come to Southfield? I need to check it out.
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