blueberries ~ about 3 pounds of fresh berries gives you 1 quart of canned
filtered water or syrup*
canning jars
new lids & rings
jar lifter
magnetic lid wand
pressure canner or waterbath canner
Syrup for canning blueberries
extra light syrup ~ 1 cup sugar (or honey) to 4 cups water
light syrup ~ 2 cups sugar (or honey) to 4 cups water
medium syrup ~ 3 cups sugar (or honey) to 4 cups water
heavy syrup ~ 4 3/4 cups sugar (or honey) to 4 cups water
Instructions
Making the Syrup
Dissolve the sugar or honey in the water in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the syrup to a boil then remove it from the heat and keep hot until needed.
Getting Prepped
Prepare your jars. Make sure they are clean and keep them hot until needed. Prepare your lids following the manufacturer's instructions.
Put the berries in the sink with enough water to cover. Swish them around in the water to wash off any dirt.
Remove any stems that might be still attached. Then I put them into a strainer over the sink to drain.
Cold (or Raw) Pack Method
In the cold pack (or raw pack) method, you pack the cleaned blueberries into one hot jar at a time leaving a 1/2 inch of headspace.
Then fill the jar with boiling water or syrup, again, leaving a 1/2" headspace.
Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth, and seat the lids.
Then put on the rings, tightening them to finger tight.
Hot Pack Method
In the hot pack method, you put the blueberries into the boiling water or syrup for about a minute, then pack them into the hot jars.
Leave a 1/2" of headspace and then fill the jars with the boiling water or syrup.
Wipe the rim of the jar, seat the lids, and put the rings on finger tight.
In a Pressure Canner
Add the amount of water to your canner that your directions tell you to.
Put the jars in the canner, then put on the lid and lock it.
Exhaust the air for the length of time specified in your instruction manual.
Add the weight and process at 6 pounds of pressure for 8 minutes for half pints, pints, 1 1/2 pints, and quarts.
Make sure you adjust pressure according to your altitude.
After processing time, remove the canner from the heat and allow to cool on it's own. When the pressure has dropped to zero, carefully remove the lid.
In a Waterbath Canner
Place your jars into the water bath canner, add hot water until the jars are covered by 1 to 2 inches and put the lid on.
Bring the water to a full rolling boil, and process for 15 minutes for half pints and pints, and 20 minutes for 1 1/2 pints and quarts.
Make sure you adjust processing time according to your altitude.
After Processing
After processing, remove the jars from the canner lifting the jars straight up. Put the jars on a towel covered cabinet out of drafts, and leave undisturbed for a minimum of 12 hours.
After 12 hours, check the seals. If the seals are good, remove the rings, wash the jars, and label and date them.
If the jars are not sealed, you can reprocess them with new lids or simply refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
Notes
When stored in a cool, dark place, canned goods can stay good for several years.