I ordered blueberries from Michigan this year, and as usual, they did not disappoint. Beautiful, big gorgeous blueberries arrived last week, and I had a few new canning recipes I was dying to try. The first one was Blueberry Syrup from The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. There is also a blueberry syrup in Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving. There are very, very slight differences in the two, and I’d basically call them the same recipe. The one in the Complete Book is just easier to read than the other, in my opinion, because it gives the blueberry amounts in cups rather than pounds, which I never seem to concentrate on. Much easier for me to measure out cups of fruit. The beauty of this recipe is that when you’re finished draining the juice to make the syrup, you use the leftover blueberry pulp to make blueberry butter. Two recipes from one batch of blueberries. What’s not to love? The syrup is in the first row on the left.

Blueberry Syrup

8 cups blueberries

6 cups water, divided

3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

 

Wash and drain blueberries. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine blueberries and 2 cups of water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, and use a potato masher to crush blueberries. Reduce heat and simmer for about 12 minutes.

Transfer blueberry mixture to a dampened jelly bag or strainer lined with several layers of dampened cheesecloth set over a deep bowl. Let drip, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare canner, jars, and lids.

In a clear large stainless steel saucepan, combine sugar and remaining 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, and cook until temperature reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Add blueberry juice (reserve pulp for blueberry butter). Increase heat to high, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add in lemon juice.

Ladle hot syrup into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

Yield: About 3 pints

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