Spiced Blueberry Jam

Something awesome happened yesterday...

My photography light came!

My parents took pity on me, probably after hearing me lament the fact I haven't had much usable photography light the last couple of weeks, and bought me a light! They are so very awesome! The light came in the mail yesterday afternoon, I actually haven't even had time to play with it yet. But today, I will! 

In the meantime, I took these photos on a day where I happened to catch 30 minutes of sunlight :)

So I had a huge tub of blueberries sitting in the fridge that I got on sale a couple of weeks ago. And what's my go-to recipe when I have lots of fruit I need to use ASAP? That's right, jam. While raspberry jam is my ultimate favorite, there's a spot in my life for blueberry as well. This blueberry jam recipe happens to incorporate the slightest hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, and wow! Revelation! I had no idea blueberry and cinnamon went so well together.  

Jam can be one of those convenience items that is so tempting to just buy at the store. However, homemade jam doesn't require much effort. It's mostly made by hands-off simmering time on the stove. And it tastes so much better than commercial. One thing (of many) I hate about commercial jam is you definitely taste the artificial flavor. There's nothing artificial about homemade jam, you're never going to get that fake taste. For me, it's worth the effort of simmering the fruit on the stove. Plus, a jar will stay good in the fridge for up to a month. 

Most of the recipes I found used pectin, as the recipes were mostly for canning. I just had one container of blueberries though, basically enough berries for one jar. There was no way I was going to can one jar of jam, so I omitted the next steps for canning the jam. I simply funneled the jam into a Mason jar and called it a day. Jam is pretty amazing, because when I poured it into the jar it had the consistency of syrup. After setting on the counter for an hour however, I had jam. The texture thickens and sets until you have wonderful, gloopy jam.

Is gloopy a word? It is now :)

Now, I have a big jar of jam in the fridge to play with. Since my brother is going to be here soon for a visit, I'm thinking about making Blueberry Danish's for when he comes. I've got the filling, I've got frozen puff pastry, I'm good to go! Mmmm, I wish I had one now...

All right, off I go. It's another busy day in the life of the Jarrell's. The hubby and I are still training for a 10K, so I've got 4 miles to put in today. Whew. Training is hard! It will all be worth after I cross the finish line, having ran my 1st-ever 10K!

Look out world! Jessica's putting her running shoes on! :)

Happy Tuesday!

Ingredients (makes 1 large Mason Jar):

4 cups blueberries

2 cups sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir continuously until sugar melts and becomes like a syrup. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer mixture to a Mason jar, and allow to cool to room temperature. Place in fridge when cool. Keeps in fridge up to one month.

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

Looking for other jam-tastic recipes? Try these!

Raspberry-Filled Vanilla Muffins

Easy Raspberry Jam

The Best Blueberry Muffins

Linked to: Treasure Box Tuesdays, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday