LINGONBERRY JAM

Small, sour and bitter. Lingonberries are not so tasty raw, but with the addition of some sugar, these shiny berries cook down into a thick, richly flavoured jam. Classically served with potatoes and meatballs (and a creamy gravy) or alongside fish, red meat, kangaroo, wild game, black pudding, dumplings, savoury pancakes, porridge, potato fritters, desserts and cocktails - like Swedish #75 – gin, lemon, lingonberry jam and sparkling wine.

Ingredients for  LINGONBERRY JAM
	Yield: 5-6 cups	Yield: 11-12 cups
Lingonberries	1kg (2.2 pounds)	2kg (4.4 pounds)
Powdered Pectin	1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 oz) i.e. 25g Jamsetta)	3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz) i.e. 50g Jamsetta)
Sugar, White	4 cups	8 cups

METHOD:

1.  Clean jars (or bottles) and equipment by washing in hot soapy water and rinsing well before use.

2.  Discard damaged berries (they can affect the jam flavour, reduce the storage period and increase the risk of spoilage). 

Place frozen lingonberries into a bowl and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Any lingonberry juice in the bowl will be added to the recipe as part of the fruit weight.

3.  Measure lingonberries into a large pan and add any juice from thawing.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook (uncovered) for 10-15 minutes or  until lingonberries are very soft, stirring every few minutes. Remove from heat. Mash for a rustic jam (or puree for a smooth jam consistency).

4.  Prepare jars (if they require pre-heating, i.e. twist top jars) in a pot lined with a cloth. Cover jars with water and bring to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, turn the heat off and leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill. 

5.  Place lids into a bowl. Cover with boiling water. Remove the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal. 

6.  Sprinkle the powdered pectin on top of the jam. Whisk well. Bring jam to a boil, as high as possible, and then add the sugar all at once. Whisk well. Place jam pot back onto heat. Whisk occasionally while the sugar dissolves, to prevent the jam sticking to the pot base. Then bring jam to a rolling boil (cannot stir down, mixture will foam). Boil as hard as possible for 1 minute. Then  turn the heat off, skim foam from the surface and check for gel stage (jam consistency). 

7.  Remove jars from hot water and place onto a heatproof surface i.e. tea towel. Pour the hot lingonberry jam into the hot jars to 0.5cm (1/4 inch) from the rim 

TIP: use a jug and jar funnel to fill jars.

8.  Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp cloth to remove any jam residue.

9.  Remove lids from hot water and seal jars i.e. twist to secure “fingertip tight”. 

10.  Return jars of jam into the pot of boiling water and boil for the processing time stated below. Start the timer once the water comes back to a full boil. 

11.  Turn off the heat source once the time is up. Remove jars from hot water after 5 more minutes. Cool jars overnight on a heatproof surface i.e. wooden board or towel. Do not adjust lids during this time.

12.  The next day, check jars have sealed before labelling and dating clearly. 

13.  Store jars of lingonberry jam in a cool, dark and dry place (i.e. pantry) for up to 12 months. Jar lids should remain tightly sealed during storage, and not flex up or down when pressed (which indicates jar seal failure, do not consume).

14.  Refrigerate jars upon opening and consume contents within 6-8 weeks.

   

Processing Time for  LINGONBERRY JAM  in a Boiling Water Canner
	Jar Size	Altitude ≤ 1,000 feet	Altitude 1,001 - 3,000 feet	Altitude 3,001 - 6,000 feet	Altitude ≥ 6,000 feet
Hot Pack	≤ 1 Litre (quarts)	5 minutes	10 minutes	10 minutes	15 minutes

 

NOTES:

o  Lingonberries are small, juicy berries with a thin skin, that taste sour and tart. They are commonly used to make sauce, juice, jam, baked goods and wine

o  Low-sugar, no-pectin jam: mix 1kg lingonberries in a non- metal bowl with 300g raw sugar (or sugar of your choice) and 1 finely sliced lemon (seeds and zest can be tied into some muslin for boiling in the jam, add the juice to the fruit). Mix, cover and rest overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, boil mixture until set, discarding seed bag before bottling (follow processing method above);

o  Low-sugar, pectin jam: use no/low-sugar pectin instead to cut the sugar in our recipe back to 1/2 cup (or to taste), check gel stage/consistency, and then follow the processing steps above. Remember: reducing the sugar does affect the jam consistency (makes it runnier, therefore requiring longer cooking to thicken) and low-sugar preserves have shorter storage period (4-6 months) so we recommend doing a small batch trial first;

o  No-sugar jam: use low/no-sugar pectin instead of regular pectin and don’t add any sugar;

o  Honey or maple syrup can be used instead of sugar, especially if using no/low-sugar pectin – remember to check gel stage before bottling.

  

Author: Megan Radaich

Image Credit: Megan Radaich          

Publication: www.foodpreserving.org