Sure, add the sugar too and you'll get more juice as it sits. Lots of recipes (look up Ferber) add the sugar, let it sit, maybe even heat briefly, let it sit some more.

I agree. It will dissolve the sugar and that will speed the cooking. Also it will reduce any browning in the color. If the recipe calls for lemon juice, add that too.

Carol

If you don't add sugar, I think there's a good chance they will start to ferment unless your fridge is very cold. Maybe not a lot in one night, but I don't think they would last two, FYI.

Thanks - I plan to get on the canning first thing in the morning, so hopefully won't ferment too much - I made too much to add the sugar at the same time.

Here's another question - I have lots of blueberry pulp and lots of blueberry juice. When I measure out the crushed berries, do I include any of the juice? If not, what should I do with all that juice? In case it matters, I like jam that has lots of fruit pieces.

Sorry that I did not see your post! Are you still wondering?

I think that with high acid fruit you can do whatever you want.

Personally, I put everything in. I don't crush berries, just put them whole, and the juice comes out as they cook.

If fruit is very runny, you can add pectin or you can simmer it for hours until it thickens up. The simmering option results in a stronger flavored jam.

But you could put all the solids and less juice, that would work too. Then you could use the juice to make blueberry pancake syrup or jelly :). Or just can it for juice.

All of these options sound very delicious to me!

I make jam out of the pulp and jelly out of the juice. You're lucky if you get much juice out of blueberries. Measure the pulp then add some juice if you need more for the 'prepared fruit' for your recipe.

If it's just the pulp, the jam might be stiffer, but still wonderful.

As to the blueberries, I agree with last poster--I would make jam, or it would probaby end up more similar to a type of slow cooked butter with your pulp, only adding in extra juice if needed. Although, with blueberries, you could add a different juice for enhanced flavor. OJ would probably work, or a cranberry or pomegranate juice. I do my blueberry jam with a lemon verbena infusion.

I also tend to do the prep on my fruit ahead of time, usually macerating with the sugars overnight. I generally start my jamming or canning at about 9pm, as I have two toddlers who are not particularly helpful at this point with canning and I wait until they're in bed. It helps immensely to have the fruit prepped, then I set out and measure all the other ingredients while they're getting ready, as well as getting the canner water boiling. Then, once they're asleep, I can knock off some jam pretty quickly and not stay up forever.

Blueberries are Low-pectin and Low-acid (in the fruit world - still safe as far as canning is concerned) so the more juice the more difficult it is to get a set without commercial pectin.

The risk without commercial pectin is over-cooking the preserve to get a set. It can be done but is more challenging than say, cranberries or such that almost set by themselves.

Carol

Yes, don't forget the lemon juice with blueberries, unless you only want syrup. Even with pectin and lemon juice, it will take awhile for the jam/jelly to set. Patience is not one of those plentiful things for me. I want it to set as soon as jars seal, if not before.