Catherine’s Pickled Blueberries

3 3-inch cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 teaspoon whole allspice berries

1½ cups red wine vinegar

2 quarts fresh blueberries, washed and picked over

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice berries onto the center of an 8-inch square piece of cheesecloth. Gather together the edges of the cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine to secure. Place spice sachet into a large saucepan and pour in the vinegar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook for 5 minutes. Stir blueberries into the vinegar; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. As the blueberries heat, gently shake the pot. Don’t stir to avoid breaking the berries. Remove from heat, cover and let stand at room temperature for 8-12 hours.

Pour berries and liquid into a colander set over a bowl. Remove spice sachet. Transfer berries to hot, sterilized canning jars; reserve the liquid. Return liquid to saucepan and place over high heat. Stir in the white and brown sugars; boil until thickened, about 4 minutes.

Ladle hot syrup over berries, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with sterilized lids; screw on rings.

Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot and process for 15 minutes.

Recipe By: foodelicious