East Coast Blueberry Jam

Clean your jars and lids, and place the jars upright with your lids on a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven. Keep them in the oven for at least 30 minutes, and take them out carefully when ready to use.

Place a saucer with five metal spoons in your freezer.

Combine all the ingredients in your kettle and place over medium high-heat, stirring constantly. When juice flows freely from the berries, stop stirring and let the mixture cook for 2 minutes.

Stir well, increase the heat to high, and allow the jam to cook; stirring very frequently. Use a rubber or wooden spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of your cooking vessel.

When your mixture reaches a boil, cook it for 8-12 minutes more, stirring frequently. Avoid turning down the heat if possible, unless the jam is sticking.

After eight minutes, or when the edges of the jam are thickening, test for doneness by placing a very small amount of the jam in a frozen spoon. Freeze it for 3-4 minutes, or until the bottom of the spoon is no longer warm nor cold. Tilt the spoon- if the jam runs, it needs more time, if it does not, it is ready.

When ready, turn off the heat and do not stir. Skim any foam from the jam.

Do not touch the jam, the sterilized jars, or the lids with an unsterilized tool. Pour the jam into your sterilized jars, being extremely careful not to spill the jam on the rim, and leaving space for the lid.

Close your jars by placing a jar ring over the lids, and tightening. Place the closed jars in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Take them out and let cool overnight at room temperature on a rack.

The next day, ensure that each jar is sealed by feeling the center, if it has not developed a very slight concave in the center of the lid, it must be refrigerated.

Once you have opened a jar, keep it refrigerated.