Market Recipe/ Down South Vegan & Gluten Free Blueberry Jam

Market Recipe
Ingredient/ Blueberries
Recipe/ Down South Vegan & Gluten Free Blueberry Jam
Dietary Consideration/ Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Low Fat, Low Calorie (and tasty!)


Last week I went on an EPIC birthday road trip with one of my girlfriends down the coastal Carolina's and up the Appalachian Trail. I picked her up Thursday morning in a car full of camping gear, ingredients and zero plan beyond that. We headed down south and when we saw anything that looked remotely fun we stopped. I could go on and on about the many restaurants we ate at, people we met and random places we slept- but I will just indulge you on our blueberry picking escapade! On the drive between the Outer Banks, NC and Wilmington, NC, there was a blueberry picking farm, so of course we had to stop. We each filled out buckets with the deliciously ripe fruit and it was still only $1.50 for the two of us! Afterwards we continued on our drive down to Wilmington stopping at various Plantations and Farmer's Markets along the way. When we arrived at out destination with no plans, we walked the boardwalk until we met a nice couple who were about to leave their house boat for the evening. We decided to ask them how much it would be to stay for the night, considering no one would be paying at this point because it was already past 5pm. Me, being the skeptic I am started to walk away when I heard my friend bargaining them down from $300 for the night, to $100 if her "chef friend" were to make them breakfast the next morning... They of course were thrilled. Good thing I have ingredients in my car for such an occasion (especially the blueberries!) Long story short- I was up at 7am in the galley of our house boat, peeling Carolina peaches for the pancakes and simmering the blueberries for the jam/syrup... See the recipe below!

Blueberry Jam (vegan + gluten free)
Ingredients/
2 lbs blueberries
1/4 cup confectioners sugar (+ more to adjust to your own sweetness level)
2 Lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt

Directions/
In a large stainless steel pot, crush blueberries with a potato masher. Add sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until thick, stirring often. Taste and add additional sugar or lemon juice for desired taste. Pour into a jar and allow to cool before you refrigerate. Or pour right on top of your pancakes and enjoy!