canning blueberries

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I noticed in my new Ball Blue Book that jams and jellies are to be water processed. Does anyone do this? I've never canned jams that way before - just ladled and sealed. Is this just a CYA proceedure? Does anyone have a great blueberry jam recipe? Thanks

-- glynnis in KY (gabbycab@msn.com), August 03, 2000

Answers

After poutring the jelly into the jars, put the lids on tight, then turn the jars upside down on a towel. The recipes say for 5 minutes, but longer is o.k., The recipe for blueberry jam in the Sure-jel box is a good one. Enjoy!

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), August 03, 2000.

Glynnis, yes it is CYA. However, there is some basis for it. Most long time canners I know haven't switched but it has been recommended for some years now. I don't bother with jams and jellies since we don't use them, but if I did, I'd water bath them or make freezer types. You'll have to make your own choice. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), August 03, 2000.

If I am making a small batch for fairly instant use, I go ahead an invert the jars and let them seal themselves...if I am making alot of jam (alot to me is more than 20 jars),I will process them..I do not know why I decided upon this rationalization...just makes me comfortable I guess...been doing it this way for many,many moons and nobody sick yet..God Bless....

-- lesley (martchas@gateway.net), August 03, 2000.

If you want to just preserve the berries themselves, here is an ancient procedure. Put washed and dry blueberries in a jar (no specifics here, but I think a quart) and add 1 TBSP salt, and I think we're talking canning (not iodized) salt. Cap. Supposed to last for months, if not years, but I have not tried it myself. Came from an older (200 yr old - OK, maybe 150) Maine native. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 04, 2000.

Brad, do you mean the berries can just sit on the shelf that way? Or do they need to go in a refrigerator? That sounds like a good thing for me to try, as our blueberries are finally getting ripe, and we don't have much freezer space, and I don't want the sugar that has to go into jams and jellies.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), August 04, 2000.


According to what I have been told by the ancient ones, these will last with only a cover that is reasonably airtight, and do not require refrigeration. Bear in mind that I have not tried this, and cannot vouch for the procedure. However, I feel that this may be another of the bits of knowledge that have been lost to us newbies! I'm not a litle kid, but I wish I knew more of what my grandparents (from the 19th century) didn't tell me. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 04, 2000.

You speak of CYA, I assume this still means "being prepared for the worst". Anyway what I have to say is "old fashion "meathods were and are good, however we now have a whole slew of "new contaminations" to contend with, so please , before you discount something as "CYA" consider that it may be a new way to combat a new problem.Time marches on and so do bacterial mutations.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), August 07, 2000.

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