Blueberry and Apple Jam

Homemade jam is just wonderful. The taste is just way more rich and delicious compared to the processed jam you can buy at the grocery store. In a homemade jam it's also easier to reduce the amount of sugar so that the jam actually taste of the fruit and berries it's made off. The processed jam we can buy at the grocery stores in Denmark has a sugar content of about 45-50%. However, we have been told that the sugar content in jam is some places up to 60% - that's a lot of sugar! Sugar is a great ingredient to preserve the jam, give it sweetness and it's a lot cheaper compared to fruit and berries. The downside of homemade jam is that its shelf life is reduced, but when you take into account that it doesn't contain any artificial additives and less sugar we think is OK.

We always make our own jam, simply because it's very easy and the taste is just great. It takes about 45 minutes to make and that includes 30 minutes of boiling. We normally make a small batch - this way it's always gone before it has had the time to go bad.

This recipe is a delicious jam with blueberries and apples. Serve it on some freshly baked bread like these overnight buns with pumpkin seeds.

Blueberry and Apple Jam

2-3 small jars
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Danish title: Blaabaer og aeble marmelade

Ingredients:
3 apples
450 g (1 lb) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
100-150 g (3.5-5 oz) sugar
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)

Instructions:
Step 1: Rinse and peel the apples and cut out the core. Dice the apples and put them in a sauce pan.
Step 2: If you are using fresh blueberries, start by rinsing them. Put them in the sauce pan together with the apples.
Step 3: Pour the sugar into the pan. We always start by adding 2/3 of the sugar and then use the last to give the jam the final flavor at the end.
Step 4: Boil the blueberries, apples and the sugar at medium heat until it has the consistency you like. Normally it takes about 30-40 minutes.
Step 5: Now give the jam the final flavor by adding the last of the sugar in step. The total amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the apples and your preferences. You can also add 1 tablespoon of lime juice, this gives a fresh taste to the jam.
Step 6: Clean some glass jars using boiling water. Pour the jam in the jars and keep them sealed and refrigerated. It will last for some week and longer if you keep the jars sealed.