catherine's pickled blueberries

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
• 1 1/2 cups red vinegar
• 2 quarts fresh blueberries, washed and picked over
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar

Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 35 mins Ready Time: 8 hrs 40 mins


• place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice berries the center of a 8 inch square piece of cheesecloth. gather together the edges of the cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine to secure. place spice sachet into a large saucepan and pour in the vinegar. bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook for 5 minutes. stir blueberries into the vinegar; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. as the blueberries heat, gently shake the pot. do not stir to avoid breaking the berries. remove from heat, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
• pour berries and liquid into a colander set over a bowl. remove spice sachet. transfer berries to hot, sterilized canning jars; reserve the liquid. return liquid to saucepan and place over high heat. stir in the white and brown sugars; bring to a boil. boil until thickened, about 4 minutes.
• ladle hot syrup over berries, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. top with sterilized lids; screw on rings.
• place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot. leave a 2 inch space between the jars. pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.