Blueberry jam, apricot syrup, and kiwi jam

Posted on July 3rd, 2010 by Sacha Chua

The blueberries at No Frills are near-perfect and relatively inexpensive ($1.47 per pint), so I stocked up and started making blueberry jam. I also made apricot syrup, and I’ve got another batch of blueberry jam mix and kiwi jam mix ready for tomorrow’s canning session.

I like making preserves. When we discovered canning during our wonderful stay-at-home vacation last year, we made apricot syrup, blueberry jam, and jalapeno jelly. The jalapeno jelly got finished quickly, as it turned out to be totally awesome with crackers and cream cheese. The blueberry jam was perfect paired with fresh-baked biscuits. The apricot syrup went really well with pancakes and with banana bread. It’s been more than a year since we bought maple syrup, which used to be a staple in our pantry.

It’s fun giving people home-made gifts, too. There’s a Filipino tradition of pasalubong – gifts brought home after a trip. It’s similar to the Japanese custom of omiyage, almost a social obligation. With globalization, what I can buy in Toronto is probably cheaper in Manila. Home-made jams and jellies are more than just preserves, though- they’re thought and time and love all wrapped up.

It turns out to be surprisingly easy to make syrups, jams, and jellies, if you don’t mind dealing with kid-boggling quantities like seven cups of sugar for one batch. (Seriously. Even J- said, “Whoa, that’s a lot of sugar.) Prep and clean-up take the biggest blocks of time, and then each batch of seven jars takes maybe 20 minutes total. It’s tiring, though – all that time on your feet! Comfy slippers help.

I’m not sure if we’re going to be able to prepare more bottles of jalapeno jelly in time for Saturday’s tea party, but there’ll always be another excuse to get together. =) We’ll have blueberry jam and kiwi jam, though, and it might be interesting to combine them.

More posts about: canning, cooking, hobbies, life // 5 Comments »

Short URL: http://sachachua.com/blog/p/7238

Francisco Arevalo

Nice, you gave me a great idea… I’ve got some papayas right here, and I love plain yoghurt with jam!
http://www.tanyalloydkyi.com Tanya Kyi

I once read a book about a woman who poisoned her in-laws with improperly canned green beans, and it made me a bit wary of preserving. But my mom came to visit a couple summers ago and gave a group of us a lesson in jam-making. I’ve just done this season’s first batch — strawberry rhubarb. And I’m thinking this is the year to try making chutney.

Or maybe jalapeno jelly… that sounds delicious!
http://sachachua.com Sacha Chua

Tanya: Botulism is scary. That’s why I’ve been focusing on acidic preserves that can be made with a boiling water bath instead of those that require a pressure canner. =) Also, pH testing for the safe. It helps that Canada has good healthcare, too, so I’m not too paranoid about fatally poisoning my friends over dinner or biscuits (although I still take care, of course).

Francisco: I’ve never tried papaya jam. That should be interesting!
http://coevolving.com David Ing

@sachac Thanks for the blueberry jam. I’m not sure where it went, because shortly after I saw you, I went travelling … and there are five other people in the house with appetites.
- http://sachachua.com Sacha Chua
  
  Heh! When is a good time to meet up with you? I shall happily give you more bottles of jam. =) You’ve shared more than dozens of jars worth of insight with me, for sure. =)

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