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I am not ready for summer to be over. I mean, I’m ready to be less sweaty and REAL ready to pull out my sweater collection, but I am desperately holding onto every last piece of summer fruit I can get my hands on. Which can be a detriment to my refrigerator space. If you, like me, have gone a touch overboard with buying fruit and are starting to panic about using them up before they go bad, it’s time to get jammin!
However, this is not a post about canning. Nor is it a post about preserving an obscene amount of fruit. This recipe calls for a scant pound of blueberries and cooks down to fit into a single mason jar, so a reasonable person, or our wee family of two, can get through it in a couple of weeks. That means there’s no need for using pectin or the full canning process—making this recipe ridiculously easy.
Putting the Lavender in Blueberry Lavender Jam
To truly kick this blueberry jam up a notch, I added lavender and lemon zest. This adds floral and citrus notes so your jam is more than just sweet. Now, I LOVE lavender. Like, a lot. It’s aromatic and pairs perfectly with blueberries and lemon. But, if you are not as into the flavor as I am, feel free to use only a single teaspoon, or omit it altogether. When using lavender, it is important to get dried, culinary-grade lavender.
There are many different types of lavenders, but only a few are tasty enough to be considered culinary-grade. Additionally, it goes through added sifting, so there isn’t a risk of debris ending up in your baked goods and treats. While you could use fresh lavender, dried lavender has a more concentrated flavor, so you might need to use more.
I can’t tell you how many uses I’ve gotten out of this jam. The one pictured is with toasted sourdough and ricotta—the perfect easy, sweet breakfast treat. However, here are a few other ways I have used this sassy stuff:
On greek yogurt with fresh blueberries and granola.
Mixed in vanilla cake batter before baking, so you get streaks of blueberry jam running throughout.
In a cocktail: Combine 1t of jam, 1/2oz lemon juice, 2oz vodka (or gin), and 1/2oz simple syrup. Shake vigorously with ice. Pour into a glass with fresh ice and some blueberries. (This would also be a great opportunity for an herbal moment. So feel free to bring in some rosemary, basil, or mint.)
Whether smearing it on some day-old toast or mixing it into whipped cream for a decadent brownie topping, there is no wrong way to jam. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Enjoy!
blueberry lavender jam
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Massage the lavender into sugar, breaking up the pieces of lavender between your fingers. Work the mixture between your hands until the sugar is fragrant. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan or heavy-bottomed pot, add the blueberries and sugar mixture, mixing to combine. Let sit for about 10 minutes off the heat to start encouraging the juices from the blueberries to release.
Over medium heat, bring your mixture up to a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally and break up some of the blueberries with the back of your spoon. If you like a chunkier jam, feel free to let your blueberries do their own thing
Increase the heat to medium-high, stirring more frequently while the liquid begins to thicken. Continue to cook until the fruit has broken up and the liquid reduces, creating tar-like bubbles. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to get to this point. Don’t take your eyes off it at this point. Make sure to stir along the sides and bottom of your pan to prevent scorching.
Add your lemon juice and lemon zest to the saucepan. Cook for another 5 minutes until the juice has evaporated and your jam is back to that thick consistency. You’ll know you are done cooking your jam when you slide your spoon down the center of the pan and you can see the bottom, with the jam being slow to fill the gap you made.
Remove from the heat and spoon it into a jar. Store in the refrigerator. This keeps great for about 2-3 weeks.
Keywords: jam recipe, blueberry jam, easy jam recipe