Blueberry Lavender Jam Recipe

Blueberries are a summer fruit favorite. What better way to capture that fresh, summery taste than in a jam? Blueberry jam is easy to whip up in an afternoon. This is a small batch recipe that makes four pints; perfect for gift-giving or to eat later in the year when you are missing warm weather. 

Lavender is well known as a relaxing aromatherapy herb. However, as a culinary herb, it adds a light floral note to dishes. It pairs especially well with stone fruits like peaches and berries. For this recipe you will need:

4 pint canning jars

6 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries

3 cups of sugar

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tablespoon of dried lavender petals and leaves

a canning pot

jar lifters

jar funnel

mortar and pestle

a towel

You can use both the dried petals and leaves of lavender or fresh if you have it growing in the garden. If using fresh, you will need twice as much; just finely chop it. For the dried lavender, grind it in a mortar and pestle until it resembles a fine powder. You will need a tablespoon. Try not to go overboard with the amount of lavender. Although it compliments blueberry, too much will overwhelm the jam and give it a bitter aftertaste. With dried lavender, a little goes a long way. 

If you are going to can the jam after preparation, go ahead and fill your canning pot with water and set it to heat while you make the jam.  Once the water in the canning pot is boiling, turn down the heat and add the four pint jars to the water to sterilize. Wash the rings and lids with hot, soapy water and place them in a smaller pot of hot water (keep them warm while you make the jam). Add the blueberries to the large stock pot. The jam will foam and bubble, so it's better to have a bigger pot. Use a potato masher to break up the blueberries. Smash them up until they're quite pulpy.