jamming update

I've added a few more jars to the pantry after a trip to the u-pick berry patch and Sam's. At the berry patch, I brought home six pounds of the biggest, yummiest blueberries. About half a gallon went straight into the freezer. One kilo is waiting to be bottled up in a sugar syrup with bay leaves for eating with yogurt and on pancakes. The remaining four cups went into a really wonderful blueberry-lime jam that I sort of made up along the way.

Blueberry-Lime Jam

4 1/2 cups blueberries, washed and picked clear of debris
6 tbsp powdered pectin, or one regular box pouch
1/2 cup lime juice
zest from two limes
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Combine all but the sugar in large heavy-bottomed, non-reactive sauce pot. Stir all well until pectin dissolves and bring to boil over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Boil one minute, stirring.

Add sugar all at once, attempting to avoid getting sugar on the sides of the pot. Mix sugar in well, stir over medium-high heat until all sugar is dissolved. Bring back to boil and boil hard one minute. Remove from heat.

Prepare jars, lids and rings in the usual way. I recommend using five half-pint or 11 quarter-pint jars. If not, you'll really know what small batch canning is... and have two pint jars (and one pint that didn't fill to the top) to show for your work. Process in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.

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Half the Tuscan melon (about four pounds at the start) went into making a very bizarre ice cream/gelato. Neither of us quite know what to make of it. It certainly tastes very fresh and melon-y. It has enough fruit in it to be a bit like an icy sorbet and yet, enough cream in it to make you think you're just eating freezer-burned sherbet. Hmmm... the jury is still out. FYI, I used this recipe by half.

About half of the other half of the melon went into this jam. I would have never thought about preserving cantaloupe this way (or at all) unless it had been recommended to me {by Tracy, I think, but I cannot recall for sure}. It is called a jam, but it is more like "preserved melon in a heavy, honey-like sauce". I think I like it. We've only had the opportunity to try it on a slice of toasted brioche and let me tell you, there are worse things.

Are you adding to your pantry this week?