Blueberry Jam
The ideal jam for papanasi (Romanian doughnuts) or placinte motesti (traditional pies). It's also my vacation jam - I invariably love to eat bread with butter, blueberry jam, and a cup of goat's milk for breakfast. Which reminds me that the countdown to vacation has begun!
Ingredients
1 kg blueberries
450 g sugar
1 cinnamon stick (about 10 cm; optional)
4 cloves (optional)
Yield: 1 jar of 450 ml + 1 jar of 250 ml + 1 jar of 200 ml
How to prepare blueberry jam
- Cover the blueberries with sugar and let them macerate for 1 hour.
- Cook over low heat at first, until the blueberries release their juice and begin to simmer. This takes about 15 minutes. Once the mixture starts boiling, let it cook for 1 more minute.
- Strain the blueberries from the released juice. Let them drain for 10 minutes to collect as much juice as possible.
- Put the strained juice back on the heat to boil, along with the cinnamon and cloves. Boil for 20 minutes, skimming off the thick foam that forms on top.
- Add the blueberries to the boiled syrup. Let it cook for another 8 minutes from the moment it starts bubbling.
- Pour the hot blueberry jam into sterilized hot jars, wipe the jar rim if it got dirty, put on the lids and tighten well. Turn the jars upside down (resting on their lids) and leave for 10 minutes to create a vacuum seal. Place the still-hot jars under a blanket and let them cool overnight (dry steaming method).
- Store in a cool place, in a cellar or pantry.
Blueberries cooking until they release their juice
Straining the blueberries
Putting the juice to boil
Syrup boiling for 20 minutes
Jam ready to be jarred
