Blueberry Orange Marmalade

My youngest son loves blueberries so when blueberries were plentiful, I bought some from the local farmer’s market.  The vendor had just picked them that day.

I bought a little bit extra to make some jam to enjoy when the local blueberries aren’t in season.  I had to hide the extra blueberries from my son because he’ll eat a whole pint/quart in one sitting.  There are worse things he could eat so I don’t usually mind.

This Blueberry Orange Marmalade is another one of the jams I made during my Can-a-Rama 2010 weekend.

This is a delicious albeit unusual blueberry and citrus marmalade. It is enhanced with a hint of cinnamon. It only uses two cups of blueberries.  This is a good thing because that’s about all I had. 

Blueberry Orange Marmalade
Makes: 3 Pints
Recipe from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. 

Ingredients

1 small orange
1 lemon
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long
2 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries
2 cups granulated sugar

Directions:

Squeeze juice from orange and lemon, including any pulp.  Discard seeds and set juice aside. Slice the rinds into very thin slices.  Place rinds, water and cinnamon in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan.

Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 25 minutes or until rinds are very tender.  Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Add blueberries and reserved juice; return to boil, cover and boil gently for 10 minutes.

Add sugar; bring to a boil.

and boil rapidly, uncovered, until mixture will forms a gel, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. 

I did the freezer test to make sure the marmalade had gelled.  For the freezer test, place a plate in the freezer ahead of time.  Test for gel formation by putting a spoonful of hot fruit mixture on the chilled plate.  Immediately return it to the freezer and wait for 2 minutes.  While you’re doing this remove the saucepan from the heat source to prevent overcooking.  If the mixture is sufficiently cooked, it will form a gel that moves slowly as the plate is tilted.  If it runs off the plate, cook for another 2 minutes and repeat until freezer test indicates a gel is formed.

Remove from heat. Ladle into hot jars. Add lid and rings, and process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. If you live in a higher altitude or need more detailed instructions on water-bath canning, please refer to the instructions at the National Center for Home Preservation.

Thanks for joining me in my jam fest.  Please check back to find out what else I’ve been making.

Happy Canning and Baking!
Cathy

Here are some of the references I use in my canning adventures. You might enjoy them as well:

• Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
• The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
• Keeping The Harvest: Discover the Homegrown Goodness of Putting Up Your Own Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
• National Center for Home Preservation