Small-batch blueberry-cardamom jam

Preserving fabulous flavours to enjoy all year round!

If you’ve seen (or, better yet, tasted) my blueberry-cardamom coffee cake or my blueberry buckle, you’ll know what a big fan I am of the combination of blueberry and cardamom. This jam tastes just like ‘pie in a jar’ and one of the things I love best about it is that you can make it at any time of the year, using frozen wild blueberries. I prefer the smaller wild blueberries as I find they have a much more intense flavour than their larger cousins. Using frozen berries means you don’t have to wash and remove stems and leaves; as a bonus, they’re also much easier to mash or slightly puree for a lovely consistency in the finished jam.

Ingredients

• 5 cups (700 g) frozen wild blueberries
• 7 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom (from green cardamom pods)
• 2  2.9 oz (85 mL) pouches CERTO liquid fruit pectin *

*one box of CERTO liquid pectin contains two pouches totalling 5.8 oz / 170 mL, which is the correct amount for this recipe

Method

• Place blueberries in a large saucepan (at least 7.5 litres / 8 quarts). Add sugar, lemon juice and cardamom (no need to stir yet) and place over medium-low heat.  
• Wash canning jars and lids in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Place jars in an oven which has been preheated to 220F; turn oven off. Place sealer lids and rings in a skillet broad enough to hold in a single layer then add just enough water to cover. Place over low heat and keep warm while you make jam. 
• When sugar has dissolved and blueberries have warmed, stir the mixture then use an immersion blender to pulse (crush) about half of the berries. Alternatively, you can use a potato masher to crush the mixture.
• Increase heat to medium and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring occasionally as it comes to a boil. Add the liquid pectin; stir and return to the boil. As soon as it has come back to a full boil, set a timer for one minute and stir occasionally.
• When the minute has elapsed, remove the pot from the stove. For the next 5 minutes, stir the jam every 30 seconds or so, skimming off and discarding any foam with a slotted metal spoon (I find very little foam is created compared to other varieties of fruit jam).
• Remove hot jars from the oven and, with the help of a canning funnel, ladle the hot jam into the prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch (.6 mm) of the top. With a clean, barely-damp cloth, wipe the top of each jar before covering with a lid (seal each jar as you fill it, rather than waiting until they are all filled). Leave on the counter to cool.
• If you wish to store the jam for a longer period of time, process in a hot water bath right after filling and applying lids.
• After jars have cooled, check seals by pressing the middle of each lid with your finger. If the lids spring back, they are not tightly sealed and the jam must be refrigerated. If they are sealed tightly, they can be kept on the shelf for up to 6 months.

Makes about 6 1/2 cups (1.54 L) of jam.