On The Green Again - Blueberry Cinnamon Jam

There are so many things I like about the New Castle Saturday Market on The Green. Fresh local produce from Against The Grain and Reed’s Produce are certainly two of the highlights. And how lucky are we to live in a place where we can walk down the block and pick up fresh ingredients for dinner?

I found some gorgeous blueberries - one of my favorite fruits, and decided to make one of my favorite jams. This one is so, so easy to make - no pectin or canning equipment - just keep it in the fridge after you’re done. The pectin in the blueberry skins and the lemon juice help to thicken it.

INGREDIENTS

4 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

METHOD

First, clean the blueberries: Before you wash them, shake a couple into your hand and check for stems. See photo below. A lot of people skip this step but finding some of these in your mouth whether it’s in pie, jam syrup or whatever, is not pleasant - they don’t disintegrate.

Wash the berries and leave them in a colander to dry for a few minutes. Extra water will just make the jam runny.

Place all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot.

Cook on medium heat, stirring often, for about 30 minutes or until it reduces and starts to thicken.

Some like to cook it longer and smash the berries, but I prefer them more whole, as you can see from the photos.

Besides blueberries being one of the most nutritious foods, the great thing about this jam is that it’s not too sweet like store-bought jams. You can use it in many different ways.

Besides simply having it on toast or on pancakes and waffles, you can use it in savory ways as well.

One way I used it was a topping for smoked duck breast, lower right photo. Allow the jam to mix a bit with the juices from the duck and it’s a great sauce.

Or, a little toasted focaccia with foie gras, topped with the jam is probably my favorite.

Of course, you could combine the two as I did lower right, schmearing the toast with foie and topping with the duck and jam.  Why not? You deserve a little decadence once in a while.

See you at the market.