Blueberry jam

Method

1. Sterilise jam jars

   To sterilise jam jars, wash jars and lids in hot soapy water or in a dishwasher. Rinse well. Place on a baking tray and into a preheated oven at 120°C for 20 minutes, or until completely dry. Keep warm in the oven until ready to use. Place a small plate in the freezer for testing the set of the jam.

2. Jam mixture

   Put about 3/4 of the blueberries and lemon rind in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Mash the blueberries, then add the remaining whole berries and lemon rind. Simmer, stirring for 2-3 minutes or until the whole berries start to soften. Add the sugar and lemon juice, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to a rolling boil.

3. Cooking

   Use a large metal spoon to skim froth from the surface if necessary. Boil, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and test if the jam reaches setting point. To do this, place 1 teaspoon of jam on the chilled plate. Place in the freezer for 30 seconds, or until cool. Jam is ready if it has formed a skin that wrinkles slightly when gently pushed. If jam is still too runny return to the heat and simmer for a few more minutes before retesting. Discard lemon rind.

4. Storage

   Allow jam to sit for 10 minutes, stir, then spoon hot jam into warm sterilised jars, filling to 5mm from the top. Clean edge of jars, seal with lids and invert for 3 minutes to help make a good seal. Leave to cool, right-way up. The centre of the lids should depress as the jam cools. Store well-sealed jars in a cool dry place for up to 6 months. Once open, store in the fridge and consume within 4 weeks.

5. Handy hint

   When making jam use the freshest berries possible. The fresher the berry the higher the pectin level, which helps the jam to set. You can make this recipe with regular sugar – you may need to boil it for longer to reach setting point.