Blueberry Jam

Being 8+ months pregnant in the dead of summer has left me with ZERO energy.  I've done very little of anything productive as of late.  But yesterday I did manage to make some blueberry jam.  I love a leisurely breakfast with Mr. Sangria on the weekends.  Usually we read the paper, have coffee and some pastry for breakfast, and catch up on The Soup.  Jams are relatively easy to make but they get such a big reaction.  Mr. Sangria thinks I've spent hours in the kitchen making him something.  Clearly that's never the case.  I proceed to tell him how great I am and then ask how many of his friends wives make homemade jams on a regular basis (we have a freezer full of strawberry and apricot jams).  The answer is none and I make him feel like he is so lucky and therefore should do something nice for me.  Like take me to dinner.  It's really a win-win situation.

I came across this jam recipe in a recent issue of Real Simple magazine.  I love that it doesn't require any canning equipment because canning equipment is a pain in the (--------) to use.  Blueberries are in peak season now so I've stocked up.  And best of all - there are only 4 ingredients.  When you use fresh ingredients you don't need a lot of other additives.

Blueberry Jam

Hands on time:  5 minutes  Total Time:  30 minutes  Makes 3 cups (which I've broken down to 5 seperate containers for future use)

Ingredients:

5 cups blueberries (I used organic)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt.  Mash with a potato masher or wood spoon until the berries have released their juices.

Cook over medium-high head, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened, 18 to 25 minutes.  Transfer to containers and refrigerate for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 1 year.

TIP: This recipe can also be made with two 10-ounce bags of frozen blueberries instead of fresh.  Cook the frozen berries for 2 to 3 minutes before mashing, then reduce the total cooking time to 15 to 17 minutes.

Now I need to beg Mr. Sangria to stop at the store on his way home from work to get some good bread to slather this deliciousness over tomorrow morning.