Lingonberry or Cranberry Jam

We are thrilled that Tessa Kiros has shared some of her recipes from her wonderful cookbook/memoir, Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes. Recipes reprinted with permission from Andrews McMeel Publishing.

LINGONBERRY OR CRANBERRY JAM
From Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros
Makes about 2 cups

1 1/4 pounds (5 cups) frozen or fresh Lingonberries or Cranberries

1 cup superfine sugar
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 small apple, peeled and cored

Lingonberries are everywhere in Finland, growing in clumps on small bushes. They make a tart, sourish jam that is delicious served with meats and game; try it with your Thanksgiving turkey or alongside a ba

ked ham. Make it in a heavy-bottomed saucepan suitable for making jam. You might need to adjust the amount of sugar, depending on the tartness of your berries. The jam will be ready to eat once it has cooled, but you can also seal it in jars (while still hot) and store for when you need it.

Rinse the b

erries, if necessary, then drain well and put them in a nonreactive bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Leave overnight, turning once or twice.

Coarsely grate the apple and put it into a jam-making pan or other heavy-bottomed saucepan with the grated lemon zest. Strain in all the juice from the berries and add 2 wooden-spoonfuls of berries, leaving the rest of the berries in the bowl for now. Add 1/2 cup of water and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the apple is very soft and the entire mixture has thickened. Add the rest of the berries and heat through for 5 to 8 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars. Seal tightly and turn upside down. Cover with a cloth and let it cool completely, before turning upright and storing in a cool place. The jam will keep for a couple of months but, once open, keep it in the fridge and use fairly quickly.

Editor’s note: This recipe uses the HOT FILL and FLIP method of sealing. Fruit jams that have added acid (lemon juice) and fall well within a pH of 4.3 or below can be done with the hot fill and flip method. You can hot fill jams (acid fruit jams only) at home but you need to be sure your jam seals. You must fill jars with HOT jam that has just come off the stove boiling! To get a seal, the jam must be ladled into jars at no less than 190°F, the lid placed IMMEDIATELY, and the jar turned upside down. This sanitizes the underside of the lids and creates a seal. Please note the Hot Fill and Flip method is no longer approved by the USDA for home canners, although it is widely used in Europe. To be aligned with current USDA canning methods, you should either store this jam in the refrigerator or water bath process in boiling water for 10 minutes to ensure a safe seal.