Blueberry & Lavender Jam

Both blueberries and lavender are in abundance right now; and together they make a tasty jam. This recipe calls for only four ingredients: blueberries, lavender, honey, and lemon juice.

Blueberry & Lavender Jam Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 quart or 1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen blueberries

• 3/4 cup honey

• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon of lavender buds

Equipment

• Medium saucepan

• 3 half-pint jars with lids and screw tops

• Cheesecloth or small herb bag

• Potato masher

• Large spoon

• Food Thermometer

Directions

• Add blueberries, lemon juice and zest to the saucepan.

• Place lavender in a piece of cheesecloth and tie off with string, or place it in a small herb bag.

• Add the bag with the lavender to the saucepan.

• Cook mixture on medium-high heat until it boils and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes.

• As blueberries cook down, mash them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon.

• As the jam cooks, it will start to foam. Scrape the foam off and set aside; but don't through it out because it's good enough to eat.

• Check the temperature of the blueberry mixture with the thermometer. When the temperature gets below 120^o F, you can add in the honey and mix well.

• To test if it's done, put a spoonful of jam in the freezer for 5 minutes. Take the spoon out of the freezer; and it it doesn't pour off the spoon easily, then it's done.

• Remove the bag of lavender; and ladle the jam into clean, sterilized, pint jars, and cover tightly.

The jam will last a few weeks in the refrigerator, or a few months in the freezer. You could also preserve the jam for a longer period of time if you do canning.