(Bettyskitchen.nl)
Making your own jams is very popular in Sweden. No wonder, blueberries, raspberries and lingonberries grow all over the place. Last year, I tried some jam-recipes. Normally you have to use equal parts of sugar and fruit to make jam. But if I do that I think the jam tastes way too sweet. Through Bettyskitchen.nl I found a way to make a less sweet version by preserving the jam with a little extra lemon juice. This one is my fathers absolute favorite. Other nice combinations are raspberries and star-anise (1-2) or red and black currents. Dare to experiment.
For 250 ml :
500 grams blueberries
Juice of 1/2 lemon
100 ml water
1 cinnamon stick
250 grams jelly sugar
Empty and sterilized jars
- Sterilize first jam jars and lids in a pan of boiling water, just boil a few minutes. Then get them out of the water and allow to air dry.
- Meanwhile wash the berries and bring to the boil in a high saucepan with the lemon juice, water and cinnamon stick. Let it boil for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick, add the sugar and cook for at least 15 minutes more. Stir well on the bottom, to prevent the blueberry jam from sticking. So you boil down the jam a bit, to make it thicker.
- Spoon the jam into the jars, I do this with help of a funnel. Immediately shut off with the sterilized lids and put the jars upside down. This pulls a vacuum during the cooling process. Store in a cool, dry and preferably dark place. Too much light is not good for storage, while a damp or steamy atmosphere can cause mould to develop on the surface of the jam.
If things go wrong: if the jam hasn’t set after cooling and potting, tip it all back into the pan and boil again.