Sugar plays a vital role in jam as a preservative. Do you know where your sugar comes from? Is it made from sugar canes or beets? And how do they get it so white? Those are questions I don’t think about much and I am not here to preach the evils of refined sugar. However, for those who seek alternative sweeteners, maple syrup is a popular option here in Canada. It seems us Canadians have a tendency to give maple syrup as gifts whenever we visit foreign countries. After all, we are the largest producer of maple syrup in the world and it is a local specialty that we’re rightfully proud of. Having said that, I have to chuckle every time my relatives in Hong Kong tell me “please stop getting us maple syrup! I don’t know what to do with them!”. Apparently pancakes drowned in maple syrup is not as popular overseas.
Just a couple of days ago I came across an interesting use for maple syrup over at Well Preserved. The recipe for Wild Blueberries Maple Jam/Preserve/Syrup really piqued my curiosity. That’s like the preserve version of warm blueberry maple syrup I slather on my pancakes! The recipe as published tends to be runny (hence the funny name) but Joel offered the option to make it with maple sugar. As luck would have it I happen to have a jar which I grated from a block of maple sugar, a very thoughtful gift from a friend in New Brunswick. I didn’t realize obtaining locally produced sugar is a challenge for many and we’re lucky to have access to flavourful, natural, albeit expensive maple sugar right here.
To ensure a firmer set of this uniquely Canadian jam, I fortified the recipe with lemon zest and a handful of frozen red currants I keep in the freezer. Both of them are great sources of pectin. Lemon enhances the flavour of wild blueberries. The amount of currants I used did not impart much flavour so you wouldn’t mistake this as a mixed berries jam. The jam set was not runny and I could see the indentation left behind after I removed a spoonful of jam from the jar. Just the way I like it!
As for the taste, I don’t even know where to begin! Wild blueberries are so intensely flavourful but they work harmoniously with the warm taste of maple. This jam tastes exactly like pancakes in a jar! My only complaint is that it is made with very expensive ingredients. I have three 250mL jars in my larder and I know I am not sharing! I think my not-sharing attitude is getting out of hand but that’s a different story for another day…
