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This one makes up for the previous jam attempt... The apple pectin was homemade*, using apples from Misty's tree. Rois and I picked the blueberries out on Sauvie Island last year. The lavender came from Karl and Molly's front yard.Lavender Blue(berry)
| 1 Cup apple pectin 1 Tablespoon lavender flowers 3 Cup blueberries 1 2/3 Cup sugar 2 Tablespoon lemon juice | Bring the apple pectin to a boil, mix in the lavender, and let steep overnight. Strain out the blossoms using a fine mesh strainer. You should have a scant cup of apple pectin, very fragrant. Prep jars, rings, and lids; have canning tools handy. Put on an apron - blueberry is quite vivid (I forgot this part) Put the blueberries in a tall pan, with a splash of water, and start cooking them. Once softened and starting to break down, either mash or blend, as desired. You should have a scant 2 C of blueberry mush. Stir in the sugar and the lemon juice and bring to a boil so sugar dissolves. Stir in the apple pectin, and keep boiling till set is achieved. Jar with a 1/4" headspace, process for 10 minutes. If you like lavender flavor, you will enjoy this jam! |
* to make apple pectin is so very easy, as long as you have unripe apples. I consulted Local Kitchen, and our own dear sponsor Tigress in a Jam, for advice on how best to proceed.
Just wash, remove stems, and cut into quarters or eighths depending on how big the apples are. The most pectin is in the parts usually thrown away or composted, the core and the skin. Put in a pan, add water, cover and boil until very mushy. Strain out the apple mush and measure the liquid you have left. You will want to boil it till it is reduced by half or until the pectin forms. Not being totally sure how strong the pectin was, this test (PDF, halfway down page 2), using rubbing alcohol, was reassuring. The first time, the liquid totally dispersed, but the second time, it did indeed form a visible clot of pectin, and the results in both this recipe and the tangy watermelon jelly were top notch, it set the fruit mixture in less than ten minutes. If there are more green apples available, making extra pectin concentrate seems like a good idea.
Ohmygosh...I REMEMBER this song! My parents used to play this on an old wind-up phonograph, an Edison, no less. Brings back memories!
ReplyDeleteI made a similar jam for the herb round up. I didn't use pectin, but it would definitely reduce the cook time. Now that blueberries are ripe I may have to try again. :)
ReplyDeleteHomemade pectin intrigues me. Learning to can as a kid (and relearning to can a "few" decades later) I always remember the box of pectin and was told it was just what you added to the recipe to make it turn out. I had never thought to see what it was and where it came from. I am wondering if the leftover apple mush could be strained to remove skins, seeds and stems and used for anything else. Or would it be useless as it was green apples to begin with?
ReplyDeleteCurious!
Sandy H in Michigan
I can't quite imagine what the green apple mush could be used for, once the pectin was extracted... after all, green apples are not really ready to eat! I have always added it to the compost, the few times I made the pectin
Deletethe pomace or leftover mush can be added to baked goods for extra fiber. I have even dehydrated and powdered it, then incorporated into granola bars. All that is left after juice and pectin removal is basically fiber. But for colorectal, heart, and glycemic health it's good to get more fiber. Beyond compost, livestock may enjoy it. my pigs sure do.
ReplyDelete