Picking blueberries as an act of contemplation…
Those little blue orbs stir me. As I gently twist and pull them off the bush, I recall various places I have been in August, when the blues are ready to pick. I recall favored patches by Lake Caspian, in VT- Perhaps this is one of the sweetest for the view of the Green Mountains. More likely, it’s dear plucking companions, Dave and Jenny, and the pie Jenny makes to cap off the experience.
The blues also remind me of the annual 10-lb box we purchase roadside, as we drive home from summer stay in Nova Scotia. The slightest tinge of red, in the blueberry fields heralds another season.
There will be no 10-lb Canadian souvenir this year. Due to the pandemic, Gretchen and I pick locally, at Cider Hill, in Amesbury. Under the hot sun, we lift masks to taste subtle differences between Jersey, Blueray, and Chandler varieties. If this marks a new tradition, it would be okay. Time in the field, lost in time, under the bluest sky, is a delicious celebration.
Making jam is an act of devotion…and modification.
Once at home, the ritual of jam making begins, which translates as “steamy hot kitchen”. After discovering that pectin has been “sold out” (Covid-19 canning projects?), I decide to make this year’s batch of blueberry jam without pectin. I also choose to reduce the sugar, preferring to taste the berry over the sweetness. It requires a bit more time to boil the berries and sugar, but I am pleased with the sticky results (recipe below). Also, I pulse the blueberries a few rounds, in the food processor - it works like a charm. At the end of the hour, this year’s harvest is sealed and labeled: A vessel of sapphire-sweet (memories included).
Once in a while, in the midst of the daily and ordinary, something reveals itself- an unexpected recollection…an overture. God is present everywhere. Even, or especially, in the berry patch.
How do you cultivate ways of seeing? Where and when do you gain greater clarity and keener insight?
Blueberry Jam (Reduced sugar, without pectin)
YIELD: 6 half-pints; Plenty to share!
Ingredients:
5 cups mashed blueberries (Approx.. 2 quarts)
¼ bottled lemon juice
2 cups sugar
Instructions:
1. Place a small plate in the freezer to test the set.
2. Prepare 6 half-pint jars in a dishwasher, or by washing and boiling them. Place lids and rims in a saucepan and boil to sterilize them.
3. Combine mashed (or food processed) blueberries and lemon juice in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat. Bring the berries up to a boil.
4. With heat kept on high, add 2 cups of sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil. The mixture should boil vigorously until it is fairly thick, 20-30 minutes. When a spoonful of jam, dropped on a cold plate holds its shape and you can leave a clean trail by passing your finger through the mixture, it is ready.
5. Remove jam from the heat. Ladle the hot jam into clean, hot half-pint jars, leaving ½ inch space at the top. Place lids on top and screw on the bands/rims. Place in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
6. Remove and cool. Add a label, with date.