Blueberry Preserves Recipe

Spread dark blueberry preserves onto warm bread for a simple breakfast or a sweet treat. This Blueberry Preserve Recipe is excerpted from Jams and Preserves(Thunder Bay Press, 2011), a cookbook that lets you defy the seasons and preserve the flavors of fruit and vegetables for months with jams, jellies, preserves and more.

Blueberry preserves recipe

Ingredients
about 6 cups (2 1/4 pounds) blueberries
1/4 cup lemon juice (and the seeds of 1 medium lemon)
4 1/3 cups sugar, warmed

Put two small plates in the freezer for testing purposes (you may not need the second plate). Place the berries in a large pan with 3/4 cup water. Place the lemon seeds on a piece of cheesecloth and tie securely with string. Add the cheesecloth bag to the pan. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the berries just start to color the water.

Add the lemon juice and sugar, and stir over low heat for 5 minutes, or until all the sugar has dissolved. Bring slowly to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring often. Remove any scum during cooking with a skimmer or slotted spoon. When the preserve falls from a tilted wooden spoon in thick sheets without dripping, start testing for setting point.

Remove from the heat, place a little preserve on one of the cold plates. Place in the freezer for 30 seconds. When setting point is reached, a skin will form on the surface and the preserve will wrinkle when pushed with your finger. Remove any scum from the surface.