Wellness For The Family: Preserving Summer Produce with Canning

Preserving the fruits of summer well into winter is a great family tradition many share.

We are jamming with Registered Dietician Grace Derocha, with , about canning summer’s blueberries.

Homemade Blueberry Jam

Ingredients

• 4 cups blueberries
• 3 cups sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. With a potato masher or other utensil, crush 1 cup of berries in a medium non-reactive saucepan.
3. Add remaining 3 cups of berries and ½ cup of water to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up blueberries. Do so for about 6 minutes or until berries are soft.
4. Meanwhile, spread sugar out on a rimmed baking sheet and heat in oven for about 5 minutes, until warm.
5. Slowly stir sugar into berries in pan. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low, cook at a slow boil until thickened for about 45 minutes to an hour. Refrigerate jam in airtight containers up to 2 weeks, or store in sealed, sterilized jars up to 6 months.

For more recipes and health and wellness tips, visit .