I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
with little or no sugar.

I'll be using it with peanut butter, so it shouldn't be too runny.

Do I even need to cook the blueberries?

Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
briefly until they become jam?

Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
whisk or a hand mixer?

I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
grape juice or something as a sweetener.

Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?

--

"LurfysMa" > wrote in message
...
>I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
> with little or no sugar.
>
> I'll be using it with peanut butter, so it shouldn't be too runny.
>
> Do I even need to cook the blueberries?
>
> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
> briefly until they become jam?
>
> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
> whisk or a hand mixer?
>
> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>
> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?

Have you tried posting to rec.food.preserving? They're really nice folk who
can almost certainly help you more than we bozos* can :-)

*excepting George Shirley and somebody else whose name escapes me....

TammyM

On Tue, 3 Apr 2007 13:49:17 -0700, "TammyM" >
wrote:

>
>"LurfysMa" > wrote in message
.. .
>>I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
>> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
>> with little or no sugar.
>>
>> I'll be using it with peanut butter, so it shouldn't be too runny.
>>
>> Do I even need to cook the blueberries?
>>
>> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
>> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
>> briefly until they become jam?
>>
>> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
>> whisk or a hand mixer?
>>
>> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
>> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>>
>> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>
>Have you tried posting to rec.food.preserving? They're really nice folk who
>can almost certainly help you more than we bozos* can :-)

No, I wasn't aware of that group. I'll trot on over there. Thanks.

>*excepting George Shirley and somebody else whose name escapes me....

There's always one or two. I'll keep by killfile button warmed up.

--

"LurfysMa" > wrote in message
...
<snip>
>>> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>>
>>Have you tried posting to rec.food.preserving? They're really nice folk
>>who
>>can almost certainly help you more than we bozos* can :-)
>
> No, I wasn't aware of that group. I'll trot on over there. Thanks.
>
>>*excepting George Shirley and somebody else whose name escapes me....
>
> There's always one or two. I'll keep by killfile button warmed up.

Oooooops. I was saying that George **isn't** a bozo :-) He's a really nice
guy and so is that other person :-)

TammyM

In article >,
"TammyM" > wrote:

> "LurfysMa" > wrote in message
> ...
> >I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
> > would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
> > with little or no sugar.
> >
> > I'll be using it with peanut butter, so it shouldn't be too runny.
> >
> > Do I even need to cook the blueberries?
> >
> > Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
> > pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
> > briefly until they become jam?
> >
> > Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
> > whisk or a hand mixer?
> >
> > I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
> > grape juice or something as a sweetener.
> >
> > Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>
> Have you tried posting to rec.food.preserving? They're really nice folk who
> can almost certainly help you more than we bozos* can :-)
>
> *excepting George Shirley and somebody else whose name escapes me....
>
> TammyM

Hey, hey, hey! Watchyerse'f.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com - Comfort Food for Bob Pastorio, updated
3-16-2007
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - blahblahblog - Orange Honey
Garlic Chicken, 3-29-2007
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

In article >,
LurfysMa > wrote:

> I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
> with little or no sugar.
>
> I'll be using it with peanut butter, so it shouldn't be too runny.
>
> Do I even need to cook the blueberries?
>
> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
> briefly until they become jam?
>
> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
> whisk or a hand mixer?
>
> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>
> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>
> --

There's something about that I don't like.
Blueberries are low in pectin. Look for something called Pomona's
Universal Pectin and see what they have to say about using dried fruits
(I think you probably can). And Ball makes a Fruit Jell powder pectin
that you can do with little or no sugar. You can cook down the berries
until they're quite thick. Try a small batch. I'm not sure I'd call it
jam, though.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com - Comfort Food for Bob Pastorio, updated
3-16-2007
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - blahblahblog - Orange Honey
Garlic Chicken, 3-29-2007
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >,
> LurfysMa > wrote:
>
>> I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
>> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
>> with little or no sugar.

>>
>> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
>> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
>> briefly until they become jam?
>>
>> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
>> whisk or a hand mixer?
>>
>> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
>> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>>
>> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>>
>> --
>
> There's something about that I don't like.
> Blueberries are low in pectin. Look for something called Pomona's
> Universal Pectin and see what they have to say about using dried fruits
> (I think you probably can). And Ball makes a Fruit Jell powder pectin
> that you can do with little or no sugar. You can cook down the berries
> until they're quite thick. Try a small batch. I'm not sure I'd call it
> jam, though.

My guess was that there wouldn't be much flavor left by the time it was
cooked down enough to thicken to a jammy consistency.

gloria p

On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:08:06 -0500, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article >,
> LurfysMa > wrote:
>
>> I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
>> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
>> with little or no sugar.
>>
>> I'll be using it with peanut butter, so it shouldn't be too runny.
>>
>> Do I even need to cook the blueberries?
>>
>> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
>> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
>> briefly until they become jam?
>>
>> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
>> whisk or a hand mixer?
>>
>> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
>> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>>
>> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>>
>> --
>
>There's something about that I don't like.

Something about what? The whole idea? The no sugar? The dried berries?

>Blueberries are low in pectin. Look for something called Pomona's
>Universal Pectin and see what they have to say about using dried fruits
>(I think you probably can).

I found Pomona's website (www.pomonapectin.com). From reading that
site, I see that regular pectin (like my mom and gramma used to use)
require sugar to "activate". I never knew that.

>And Ball makes a Fruit Jell powder pectin that you can do with little or no sugar.

Apparently the Ball company no longer makes those jars my mom used to
own by the hundreds and which made such great bug containers.
(Although it seems to me that she used to call them "Kerr Mason"
jars.) That business was spun off to Jarden Home Brands
(www.homecanning.com).

They have several pectin products:

http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/pectin/21.php

including:

1. No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin: Claims to make jam with no
cooking. Will work with sugar substitutes. I would assume it would
also work with no sweetener at all, but it doesn't say that.

2. Liquid Fruit Pectin: This looks to be regular pectin, but in liquid
form. Clearly states that it requires sugar.

3. No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin: Looks to be like regular pectin, but
without the requirement for sugar.

4. Original Fruit Pectin: This looks to be regular pectin. Clearly
states that it requires sugar.

It looks like I could try either #1 or #3. Any sggestions for one over
the other? Any comments on how the resulting jams will compare.

>You can cook down the berries until they're quite thick. Try a small batch.
>I'm not sure I'd call it jam, though.

I don't care what it's called as long as it tastes like blueberries,
has as little sugar as possible, and is thick enough to stay on a
PB&J.

Thanks for the pointers.

--

On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:43:35 GMT, Puester >
wrote:

>Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> In article >,
>> LurfysMa > wrote:
>>
>>> I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
>>> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
>>> with little or no sugar.
>
>>>
>>> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
>>> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
>>> briefly until they become jam?
>>>
>>> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
>>> whisk or a hand mixer?
>>>
>>> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
>>> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>>>
>>> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>>>
>>> --
>>
>> There's something about that I don't like.
>> Blueberries are low in pectin. Look for something called Pomona's
>> Universal Pectin and see what they have to say about using dried fruits
>> (I think you probably can). And Ball makes a Fruit Jell powder pectin
>> that you can do with little or no sugar. You can cook down the berries
>> until they're quite thick. Try a small batch. I'm not sure I'd call it
>> jam, though.
>
>My guess was that there wouldn't be much flavor left by the time it was
>cooked down enough to thicken to a jammy consistency.

I was worried about that, too. Can I just cook it a little -- just to
get it gooey? Or maybe not cook at all -- just add water and mix.
These berries are already freeze dried so there's no moisture at all
to start with.

I have been able to create something about the same consistency as
"dried" blueberries like they sell at Trader Joe's, which have a
little moisture left. I put them in a plastic bowl and just sprinkle
then with a little water. I then put the lid on, shake them up, and
let them sit for an hour or so. The longer they sit, the closer they
come to being just like the dried (not freeze dried) blueberries.

These berries are from Honeyville Farms, but they are cheaper from
Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Freeze-Dried-B...5645347&sr=8-8

My can says it contains .75 pounds of berries thaty weight just 10% of
the original. That would be 7.5 pounds of blueberries (before
deydration) for $29 or about $3.87/pound. That's more expensive that
fresh, but they keep for 10 years if unopened and you can have them
year round.

Or you can buy the 6-can case for $157. That's 45 pounds of
blueberries or only $3.49/pound! ;-)

They also have freeze dried strawberries, raspberries, apples, and
peaches.

--

On Apr 3, 8:22�pm, LurfysMa > wrote:
> On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:43:35 GMT, Puester >
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> >> In article >,
> >> *LurfysMa > wrote:
>
> >>> I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
> >>> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
> >>> with little or no sugar.
>
> >>> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
> >>> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
> >>> briefly until they become jam?
>
> >>> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
> >>> whisk or a hand mixer?
>
> >>> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
> >>> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>
> >>> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>
> >>> --
>
> >> There's something about that I don't like.
> >> Blueberries are low in pectin. *Look for something called Pomona's
> >> Universal Pectin and see what they have to say about using dried fruits
> >> (I think you probably can). *And Ball makes a Fruit Jell powder pectin
> >> that you can do with little or no sugar. *You can cook down the berries
> >> until they're quite thick. *Try a small batch. *I'm not sure I'd call it
> >> jam, though.
>
> >My guess was that there wouldn't be much flavor left by the time it was
> >cooked down enough to thicken to a jammy consistency.
>
> I was worried about that, too. Can I just cook it a little -- just to
> get it gooey? Or maybe not cook at all -- just add water and mix.
> These berries are already freeze dried so there's no moisture at all
> to start with.
>
> I have been able to create something about the same consistency as
> "dried" blueberries like they sell at Trader Joe's, which have a
> little moisture left. I put them in a plastic bowl and just sprinkle
> then with a little water. I then put the lid on, shake them up, and
> let them sit for an hour or so. The longer they sit, the closer they
> come to being just like the dried (not freeze dried) blueberries.
>
> These berries are from Honeyville Farms, but they are cheaper from
> Amazon:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Freeze-Dried-B...n/dp/B0006ZN4Z...

Actually they're $2 less from Honeyville Farms.

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/ind...ROD&ProdID=569

Freeze dried blueberries have a long shelf life (~15 yrs) so there's
no big rush to use them up. I think they're a bit pricey to use for
jams, and then having to reverse the process by rehydrating I think
will dilute the flavor... I'd save them for breakfast cereals and of
course for baking... freeze dried are actually better than fresh in
muffins, cakes, breads, cookies, pancakes, you name it.

Sheldon

On 3 Apr 2007 17:54:24 -0700, "Sheldon" > wrote:

>On Apr 3, 8:22?pm, LurfysMa > wrote:
>> On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:43:35 GMT, Puester >
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> >Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>> >> In article >,
>> >> urfysMa > wrote:
>>
>> >>> I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
>> >>> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
>> >>> with little or no sugar.
>>
>> >>> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
>> >>> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
>> >>> briefly until they become jam?
>>
>> >>> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
>> >>> whisk or a hand mixer?
>>
>> >>> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
>> >>> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>>
>> >>> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>>
>> >>> --
>>
>> >> There's something about that I don't like.
>> >> Blueberries are low in pectin. ook for something called Pomona's
>> >> Universal Pectin and see what they have to say about using dried fruits
>> >> (I think you probably can).
nd Ball makes a Fruit Jell powder pectin
>> >> that you can do with little or no sugar. ou can cook down the berries
>> >> until they're quite thick. ry a small batch. 'm not sure I'd call it
>> >> jam, though.
>>
>> >My guess was that there wouldn't be much flavor left by the time it was
>> >cooked down enough to thicken to a jammy consistency.
>>
>> I was worried about that, too. Can I just cook it a little -- just to
>> get it gooey? Or maybe not cook at all -- just add water and mix.
>> These berries are already freeze dried so there's no moisture at all
>> to start with.
>>
>> I have been able to create something about the same consistency as
>> "dried" blueberries like they sell at Trader Joe's, which have a
>> little moisture left. I put them in a plastic bowl and just sprinkle
>> then with a little water. I then put the lid on, shake them up, and
>> let them sit for an hour or so. The longer they sit, the closer they
>> come to being just like the dried (not freeze dried) blueberries.
>>
>> These berries are from Honeyville Farms, but they are cheaper from
>> Amazon:
>>
>> http://www.amazon.com/Freeze-Dried-B...n/dp/B0006ZN4Z...
>
>Actually they're $2 less from Honeyville Farms.
>
>http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/ind...ROD&ProdID=569

Hmmm... So they are. The last time I checked (which was 6-8 months ago
when I got this can) they were about $2 cheaper at Amazon.

>Freeze dried blueberries have a long shelf life (~15 yrs) so there's
>no big rush to use them up.

That's true as long as the can is unopened. I'm not sure how long they
last after that as moisture will start creeping in. They do pack a
little packet of "EverFresh", but it is an "oxygen remover", not a
moisture remover.

>I think they're a bit pricey to use for
>jams, and then having to reverse the process by rehydrating I think
>will dilute the flavor...

I have a bowl of rehydrated freeze-dried blueberries and a bag of
Trader Joe's dried blueberries. It's not a fair test because the
Trader Joe's blueberries are sweetened with apple juice. I would say
that the rehydrated berries are closer to the taste of blueberries
than the TJ's, but neither would ever be confused with the taste of
fresh berries.

>I'd save them for breakfast cereals and of
>course for baking... freeze dried are actually better than fresh in
>muffins, cakes, breads, cookies, pancakes, you name it.

I have been using them mainly for making trail mix. I combine almonds,
raisins, and rehydrated blueberries. Pretty good. When I have weak
will power, I toss in a few M&Ms. ;-)

I have a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal almost every day (also from
Honeyville Farms). I don't know why I never thought about tossing in a
few blueberries. I will do that tomorrow for sure. Thanks for the
reminder.

I'm not much of a cook and my SO hates all berries so blueberry
muffins are not an option. (sigh) But we do have pancakes
occasionally. I'll try adding some to my half of the batter next time.

--

In article >,
LurfysMa > wrote:

> >There's something about that I don't like.
>
> Something about what? The whole idea? The no sugar? The dried berries?

I don't know. I can't identify it.
>
> >Blueberries are low in pectin. Look for something called Pomona's
> >Universal Pectin and see what they have to say about using dried fruits
> >(I think you probably can).
>
> I found Pomona's website (www.pomonapectin.com). From reading that
> site, I see that regular pectin (like my mom and gramma used to use)
> require sugar to "activate". I never knew that.
>
> >And Ball makes a Fruit Jell powder pectin that you can do with little or no
> >sugar.
>
> Apparently the Ball company no longer makes those jars my mom used to
> own by the hundreds and which made such great bug containers.
> (Although it seems to me that she used to call them "Kerr Mason"
> jars.) That business was spun off to Jarden Home Brands
> (www.homecanning.com).

You can buy Ball brand jars lots of places. You can buy Kerr brand jars
lots of places. You can buy Golden Harvest brand jars lots of places,
but not so commonly as Ball and Kerr, I believe. Jarden, formerly
Alltrista, formerly. . . makes all of them I think. Not 100% sure
about the Golden Harvest ones; those may have been Libbey at one time.
>
> They have several pectin products:
>
> http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/pectin/21.php

> 3. No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin: Looks to be like regular pectin, but
> without the requirement for sugar.

That's the one to which I referred.

> It looks like I could try either #1 or #3. Any sggestions for one over
> the other? Any comments on how the resulting jams will compare.

Sugar contributes more than just sweetness to fruit jams. It helps
preserve the color of the fruit. Ever notice that the red fruit
"spreads" get kind of brown looking sometimes? If you see them on the
store shelf looking that way, you'll know it's been a while since it was
made and processed.
>
> >You can cook down the berries until they're quite thick. Try a small batch.
> >I'm not sure I'd call it jam, though.
>
> I don't care what it's called as long as it tastes like blueberries,
> has as little sugar as possible, and is thick enough to stay on a
> PB&J.

Well, there you go, then. I'm kind of a stickler on lots of things
related to preserving soft spreads. There's an actual FDA standard for
a product called jam or preserves; it has to do with a very specific
ratio of sugar to fruit. It's more important to commercial producers
than to the likes o'me.

> Thanks for the pointers.

You're welcome. See you over at r.f.preserving.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com - Comfort Food for Bob Pastorio, updated
3-16-2007
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - blahblahblog - Orange Honey
Garlic Chicken, 3-29-2007
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

In article >,
LurfysMa > wrote:

> I'm not much of a cook and my SO hates all berries so blueberry
> muffins are not an option. (sigh) But we do have pancakes
> occasionally. I'll try adding some to my half of the batter next time.
>
> --

After you've poured the batter onto the griddle, sprinkle a few blues on
top, cook, flip, and cook some more.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://jamlady.eboard.com - Comfort Food for Bob Pastorio, updated
3-16-2007
http://web.mac.com/barbschaller - blahblahblog - Orange Honey
Garlic Chicken, 3-29-2007
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

LurfysMa wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Apr 2007 13:49:17 -0700, "TammyM" >
> wrote:
>
>> "LurfysMa" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
>>> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
>>> with little or no sugar.
>>>
>>> I'll be using it with peanut butter, so it shouldn't be too runny.
>>>
>>> Do I even need to cook the blueberries?
>>>
>>> Would it work to put a couple of cups of dried blueberries in a sauce
>>> pan with just enough water to rehydrate them and then just simmer
>>> briefly until they become jam?
>>>
>>> Or could I mix the dried blueberries with some water in a bowl using a
>>> whisk or a hand mixer?
>>>
>>> I see ads for blueberry jam containing just blueberries and maybe
>>> grape juice or something as a sweetener.
>>>
>>> Can anyone recommend a good recipe that I could try?
>> Have you tried posting to rec.food.preserving? They're really nice folk who
>> can almost certainly help you more than we bozos* can :-)
>
> No, I wasn't aware of that group. I'll trot on over there. Thanks.
>
>> *excepting George Shirley and somebody else whose name escapes me....
>
> There's always one or two. I'll keep by killfile button warmed up.
>

The only a**h*** over at r.f.p left several years ago. There are not
any regulars that you'd ever want to killfile. I think the George
Shirley comment was an ironic joke, or sarcasm intended as a compliment.
Or something like that; definitely not literal.

Best regards,
Bob

On 3 Apr 2007 17:54:24 -0700, "Sheldon" > wrote:

>On Apr 3, 8:22?pm, LurfysMa > wrote:

>> On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:43:35 GMT, Puester >
>> wrote:

>> >> In article >,
>> >> urfysMa > wrote:
>>
>> >>> I was given a large (1 gallon?) can of freeze dried blueberries. I
>> >>> would like to see if I can make blueberry jam. I'd like to make it
>> >>> with little or no sugar.

>I'd save them for breakfast cereals...

>Sheldon

I just tried them with my steel cut oats. Not quite as tasty as fresh
blueberries, but pretty good. I make my oatmeal using the overnight
method. I put the oats in a bowl with 2-3 times the water, bring to a
boil, cover, put in frig. If I add the dried blueberries when I boil
the water, they get a good chance to soften up.

They do turn the oatmeal a dirty shade of purple that most people
would probably not find appetising. Doesn't bother me, though.

Thanks for the suggestion.

--