Organic Blueberry Fruit Spreads

Organic blueberry fruit spreads are different from jellies, jams and preserves.

Organic blueberries are great antioxidants.

Out of 60 fruits and vegetables tested in a recent study conducted by Tufts University, for antioxidant properties, blueberries were number one for destroying free radicals.

If you've ever wondered what the difference is between all the ways fruits are used for spreads and jams, it's easy when you break down these four major processes.

The fruit juice is sweetened before a jelling agent and lemon juice are added. The fruit juice sets into a clear colored jelly.

The fruit is chopped, crushed and cooked. Sugar, pectin and lemon juice are added to the mixture. Jams can have either crushed fruit pulp or fruit puree, but doesn't have pieces of fruit in it.

Preserves are made like jams but also have partial, crushed or whole pieces of the fruit and aren't smooth like the other two fruit preparations. Some preserves don't need pectin added.

Spreads were first made as a way to introduce reduced-calorie fruit spreads. A fruit spread is made from concentrated fruit juice with non-sugar sweeteners like fruit juice.

You can make your own organic fruit spreads with a few simple ingredients and tools.

Ingredients:

• 1 Quart of organic blueberries
• 2 Cups of organic sugar

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Glass jelly jars, lids and rings

The first thing you need to do is wash the organic blueberries. Remove the stems and cull any imperfect berries.

• Place washed berries in saucepan and add 1 cup of sugar.
• Stir constantly while cooking over low heat until the berry juices and sugar mix.
• Keep on low heat for 30 minutes. Stir pot every 5 minutes to keep mixture from sticking to pan.
• Remove pan from heat and allow berry mixture to cool
• Return pan to low heat and add remaining 1 cup sugar
• Cook mixture 20 minutes while stirring occasionally
• Remove pan from heat and allow blueberry mixture to cool
• Pour into hot glass jars, place lid and tighten ring
• Keep fruit spread refrigerated

Your fruit spread shelf-life is shorter than commercial spreads since no preservatives were used.

This recipe uses a cold-pack processing to give your organic blueberry spread a longer shelf-life.

Ingredients:

• 5 Cups Organic Raspberries
• 3 Cups Organic Blueberries
• 1 Tablespoon of Organic Bottled Lemon Juice (stronger concentrate than fresh juice)
• 1 Tablespoon of Grated Organic Lemon Peel
• 6 Cups sugar

Equipment:

• Dutch Oven or Tall Stock Pan
• 8 Half-Pint Jars or 4 Pint Jars with lids and rings
• Long Handled Ladle

You’ll want a saucepan that’s big enough to hold 8 cups of berries.

• Prepare jelly jars in boiling water as with any canning process.
• Remove from water as you fill them

You’ll want to wash and cull your organic blueberries and drain in a sieve with a bowl underneath to catch ¼ cup of the runoff juice.

• Combine organic raspberries and organic blueberries, lemon juice and lemon peel in Dutch oven or saucepan.
• Bring to hard boil, stirring constantly.
• Stir in sugar and continue cooking at a hard boil, stirring to keep mixture from sticking to bottom of pan.
• Allow to boil for 1 full minute. Be sure to continue stirring.

The next part of the process is known as cold-pack canning. You’ll need a canner with a rack for the best results, not to be confused with a pressure cooker. Because of the high acid in fruits the risk of botulism is very low and it’s unnecessary to can using a pressure cooker.

• Remove saucepan from heat.
• Skim away any foam from the mixture and discard.
• Using ladle, spoon hot mixture into hot jars. Fill to ¼ from top.
• Use wooden spoon handle to remove any air pockets by inserting several times into the mixture.
• Wipe jar rims with boiling water and place lids over mouth of jars.
• Screw on rings tightly, and then loosen one-fourth of a turn.

Now that you have the lids in place, you’re ready to start the cold-pack canning.

• Using canning tongs, place the jars into the rack and lower into boiling water.
• Be sure that water covers cans to a depth of one to two inches.
• Leave jars in boiling water for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and set jars on top of towel or cooling rack and allow to cool overnight.
• Lids will pop and seal as mixture cools.

Test jar lids by pressing down in the center. If the lid gives and moves, the jar did not seal. Any jars with lids that don’t seal should be used and will be good up to two weeks as long as stored in refrigerator.

Your blueberry fruit spread will be good up to a year from the date canned.

If you don’t want to make your own fruit spread, you can purchase organic blueberry spreads wherever organic foods are sold.

• Crofters Organic Wild Blueberry Spread
• Organic Fruits and Nuts
• Lagier Ranches

Organic blueberries can be sweet, tart or tangy depending on the variety. With an abundance of nutrients, organic blueberry fruit spreads are also low in calories.

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