4 cups berries
3 cups sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 package of pectin (whole for jam)
1/2 tsp butter
Mash the berries by the cupful into a sauce pan. Stir in lemon juice and pectin and bring to a boil. Stir in sugar and butter and bring to a boil once more, stirring constantly. Boil for a full minute, then ladle into sterilized jars. Place lidded jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Yields 5 half-pints of jelly.
I have to say, I sampled this jam and had no idea there was any pectin parsimoniousness afoot. It made for a superb peanut butter and jelly sandwich, in fact. I’m telling you, there’s nothing like that huckleberry flavor. I would strongly suggest (though I know Finspot and others prefer sweet over tangy) cutting back on the amount of sugar the recipe calls for, just to make sure you keep intact that signature hint of tartness. With each bite you’ll be recalling the beauty of the forest where you foraged–oh, so sweet.
Huckleberrying with my grandparents took me into the mountains around Mt. Adams and northern B.C. when I was a kid. And then the pies we made. A bunch of my extra pounds started way back then, a fresh pie every other day all summer long. Those were the days.
I looked for huckleberries when we hiked in the Canadian Rockies recently, but no luck. If I’d found some I suppose I might have shared mine with a grizzly or two who love them about as much as we do.
Huckleberries slightly sweet tart oozy, the best jam imaginable on a piece of toast. Num.
Have you ever used honey in place of jam in recipes?