Sal’s Blueberry Jam
-5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I used fresh)
-¾ c sugar
– Fresh lemon juice divided into 3 TBS and 1 TBS
-⅓ tsp kosher salt
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- Mix blueberries, sugar, 3 TBS lemon juice, and kosher salt in medium saucepan. Stir to coat. On medium heat, cook until the mixture gets very juicy and starts to bubble, stirring often. It takes about 6-8 minutes.
- Once the mixture is nice and bubbly, reduce the heat to medium-low. Keep it at a simmer, stirring occasionally. ( I stirred it about every 6 minutes) Once you can tilt the pan and drag a wooden spoon across the bottom and it leaves a trail that doesn’t fill in immediately, it’s done. It takes about 30 minutes. The mixture may still be thin.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool, stirring occasionally for about 30 more minutes.
- Stir in remaining 1 TBS of lemon juice. Transfer to a pint jar. Leave uncovered at room temperature until completely cooled. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. The jam will thicken as it chills. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Note: The recipe says it makes 1 pint but I got about 1-½ pint. That’s plenty for my husband and me but I’m sure you can double it if you want to share.
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Visiting my sweet little local library was a favorite pastime growing up. I had so many books that I adored and checked out weekly with my much-loved, light-green library card. Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey was one of them.
While perusing the internet, I stumbled upon a companion cookbook. Who knew it even existed? Of course, it features some fun blueberry recipes. But if you’re a fan of the book, you’ll also appreciate the charming illustrations and text that accompany the recipes.
I decided to try the blueberry jam recipe, although I thought it was unusual that it didn’t have pectin in the ingredient list. I’m so glad I made it! It was super easy and very tasty! I love that there are no artificial ingredients and the only thing you need is a little time to keep stirring the bubbling pot.
My Blueberries for Sal Cookbook is such a fun addition to my other recipe books. I was thrilled to find this book that is reminiscent of one of my favorite picture books that I used to drag home often from the Canfield Library. Wonder how many times I read it? Probably more than the 30 recipes that are in this darling cookbook! Enjoy!
