Jams, jellies, and preserves are delicious, but they taste even better when you make them yourself especially since you can create any combination you choose. For this, I decided to use two of my favorite fruits and add lavender to enhance the flavor and take something ordinary and make just a bit extraordinary.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Wait time: up to 1 day
Ingredients
2 pounds of strawberries, cut in half and hulled
1 small package of blueberries
2 cups of organic, unrefined, granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of lavender flowers
1 cap full of vanilla extract
¼ cup of lemon juice
Lemon zest
Instructions
- Add the strawberries and blueberries into a pot and heat over a low heat
- Add the lemon juice into the pot and stir
- Mix in the sugar, one cup at a time, and stir until it is dissolved
- Crush the lavender in your hands and add it to the cooking mixture, stirring it in
- Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often to avoid burning
- Using a wooden spoon or ladle, softly press down and smash the fruit
- Scrape off any foam bubbling on top of the mixture
- Add the vanilla and stir
- Boil and stir until the mixture reaches a temperature of 220 degrees F, or, another way to check if it is ready, using a spoon spread a thin line of the preserves across a cold surface, if it jellies then it is ready
- Sterilize the jars you are going to be adding the preserves to by cleaning them with boiling hot water, thus also heating the jars
- Using a large stock pot, add hot water and bring to a boil
- Transfer the mixture to the warm jars, leaving ¼ inch from the top, and seal them tight
- Using tongs, transfer them into the stockpot with boiling water and make sure they are covered
- Process in the boiling water for about 5-10 minutes
- Let them cool for about 24 hours in a cool dark place and seal. Check the seal by pressing down on the lid and making sure it does not pop up
- Store in a cool dark place
- Serve on toast or use as an ice cream or cheesecake topping
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