Add a splash of brandy to home canned blueberries to raise them to a sophisticated gourmet level.
It lends the berries a little bit of warming comfort on cold winter evenings.
Very nice as gifts.
See also: Blueberries with Grand Marnier.
Quantities of blueberries needed
Numbers are approximate guidelines.
On average, as a very rough guideline, expect to need per jar:
- about 175 g (½ lb) of blueberries per ¼ litre (½ US pint) jar of canned blueberries;
- about 375 g ( ¾ lb) of blueberries per ½ litre (US pint) jar of canned blueberries;
- about 750 g (1 ¾ lbs) of blueberries per 1 litre (US quart) jar of canned blueberries.
On a larger scale:
- 5 ½ kg kg (12 lb) of blueberries = 7 litres (US quarts) canned blueberries
- 3 ½ kg (8 lbs ) of blueberries = 9 x ½ litres (US pints) canned blueberries
- 1 x 24 quart crate blueberries = 16 kg (36 lbs) = 18 to 24 litres (US quarts) canned blueberries
1 litre (US quart) whole, fresh blueberries = 750 g (1 ½ lbs), whole fresh
4 litres (US quarts) fresh blueberries = 3 litres (US quarts), blanched for 30 seconds
1 litre (US quart) blanched blueberries = 1 kg (2 ¼ lbs) of blanched berries
The recipe
Jar size choices: Either quarter-litre (½ US pint) OR half-litre (1 US pint) OR 1 litre (1 US quart)
Processing method: Water bath or steam canning or pressure canning
Yield: varies
Headspace: 2 cm (½ inch)
Processing time: 15 minutes regardless of size chosen
Home canned blueberries with brandy
Ingredients
Instructions
- Wash berries in batches of 1 or 2 litres (quarts) at a time.
- Drain, and get any stems off.
- Have a pan of water boiling.
- Add the berries in small batches at a time so that the water will come back to the boil quickly.
- Let the berries boil for 30 seconds, then fish out of pot immediately with slotted spoon or sieve.
- Repeat until all berries are blanched.
- Divvy berries out amongst jars, leaving 2 cm (½ inch) headspace.
- Add 1 tablespoon of brandy per quarter-litre (½ US pint / 1 cup / 8 oz) jar OR 2 tablespoons per half-litre (1 US pint / 2 cup / 16 oz) jar OR 4 tablespoons per litre / quart.
- Divvy blanching juice out amongst jars, leaving 2 cm (½ inch) headspace.
- If short of canning liquid, top jars up with boiling water from a kettle.
- Debubble, top up with more liquid as required to retain headspace.
- Wipe jar rims.
- Put lids on.
- Process jars in a water bath or steam canner for 15 minutes regardless of size chosen; increase time as needed for your altitude.
Notes
Nutrition
The USDA also gives pressure-canning and raw-pack alternatives for canning blueberries.
By the time, though, that you heat and vent a pressure canner, run it and then cool it down, it would take longer than simple steam canning.
Also note that for sugar-free canning of fruit, raw packs are not generally advised.
Reference information
How to water bath process.
How to steam can.
When water-bath canning or steam canning, you must adjust the processing time for your altitude.
More information about Sugar and Salt-Free Canning in general.
Recipe source
Berries – Whole. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Complete guide to home canning. Agriculture information bulletin No. 539. 2015. Page 2-10.
Alcohol guidelines are from: Kingry, Judi and Lauren Devine. Ball / Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving. Toronto: Robert Rose. 2015. Page 155.
Nutrition information
Serving size: ¼ litre (1 cup / 8 oz / 250 ml)
- 178 calories, 2 mg sodium
- Weight Watchers PointsPlus®: Per ¼ litre (1 cup / 8 oz / 250 ml): 5 points (while fresh blueberries are 0 on Weight Watchers, processed ones with brandy, etc, would not be.)
* Nutrition info provided by https://caloriecount.about.com
* PointsPlus™ calculated by healthycanning.com. Not endorsed by Weight Watchers® International, Inc, which is the owner of the PointsPlus® registered trademark.
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