Blueberry Jam with Lime

I’ve always been a total fair weather fan when it comes to blueberries. At the height of the season, when they’re firm, sweet, and just a bit tart, I eat them pint after pint, nearly as fast as I can buy them. I love to put them on yogurt, in salads, or just eat them plain. Last summer, as I was relishing some particularly perfect blueberries, I came across a recipe in the New York Times for Blueberry Jam with Lime. The recipe comes adapted from the book “Saving the Season” by Kevin West.Now, to be truthful, I’m not really a jam and jelly girl myself as I frequently find them to be way too sweet and lacking any real depth of flavor. My husband, on the other hand, loves jam and it was something I had never been brave enough to make. So, with encouragement from Lane that I could do it, I set about on my first canning adventure. After a somewhat hilarous trip to gather supplies (and multiple calls to Lane with silly little questions), I set up shop in my kitchen and a few hours later was the proud owner of four 1/2 pints of the most delicious, not too sweet Blueberry Jam with Lime. We enjoyed a jar right away and tucked the remaining jars away for use this past fall and winter. The jam was wonderful on toast and english muffins, mixed into muffin batter, and on my son’s almond butter sandwiches. Each jar we opened tasted of those perfect early summer blueberries and convinced me to give canning another try this summer.

As perfect little blueberries are hitting markets and stores in full force now, I’ve had the itch to make another batch. This recipe is perfect for beginners like me. You need only basic equipment (check out this article from Serious Eats for the run down) and a few really great ingredients. I would advise that you don’t deviate from the recipe, as it can affect the pH of the preserve, which may lead to food safety issues. For that reason, I’m going to link directly to the NY Times article rather than reproduce it here and risk any errors! Now, get out there and make some jam!!