Blueberry Jam in the Bread Machine

Over the past year, I have obtained and grown to be obsessed with my bread machine, Mr. Breadman (not just a nickname but also the product's brand). If I provide the ingredients, he in turn mixes, kneads and bakes me fresh loaves of bread. Last week, I discovered Mr. B is also great with jam.

Being the middle of what seems like the longest North Dakota winter in history, I live for the small things that remind me of summer. Among these things are fresh berries and even better, homemade jam. It had been weeks since I last saw the berries dip below three dollars at the grocery store, so when I saw blueberries on sale I grabbed two large cartons. Two large cartons for two people seemed like a good idea at the time, but nearly two weeks later sat one lonely carton behind the milk, approaching the raisiny phase of its life. Now seemed like the perfect time to to try out Mr. B's jam setting I'd yet to use. I started with a simple jam with only two ingredients and again, Mr. B didn't disappoint.

Blueberry Jam in the Bread Machine

I made this one week ago and it's nearly gone, therefore a winner.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar

Wash the berries in cold water, drain well and transfer to a medium bowl. With a potato masher or fork, crush the berries coarsely. Add the sugar and mix well.

Simply dump the mixture in the loaf pan of your bread machine, select the jam setting and press start. When the cycle is complete, transfer the contents to a small jar and allow to cool uncovered. Store in the fridge and use within a four to six weeks. Enjoy your jam with muffins, toast or my personal favorite: greek yogurt.

Today I tried a variation of the same jam, however this time I added the juice of one lemon to tone down the tartness of the blackberries. It also turned out wonderfully.

Lemon Blackberry Jam in the Bread Machine

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 lemon

You all must try a bowl of greek yogurt with a dab of homemade jam swirled throughout. Add some variety to your diet with this healthy yet filling breakfast or snack.