Did you know you can pickle blueberries? You can, and boy are you missing out if you’ve never had some pickled blueberries. This recipe takes your fresh blueberries and adds that extra pop that will set your charcuterie boards head and shoulders above the competition.
Pickling your blueberries doesn’t just add flavor, it also adds shelf life. I like to serve these bright tasting berries over goat cheese on a crostini, or on top of vanilla ice cream. I’m a big fan of pickles and never would have though this would taste so good. Pickled blueberries sounds weird, but you’ll want to eat them by the pint!
Ingredients
- Blueberries- Fresh and Cleaned
- Red Wine vinegar- For added tartness and preservation
- White Sugar- To keep it sweet
- Brown Sugar- Light brown works perfect
- Cinnamon Sticks- You’re gonna love the way your home smells
- Whole Cloves- All spice berries are a nice addition too
- Baguette- Don’t worry if its a couple days old, we’re gonna toast it
- Goat Cheese- Creamy and delicious, a perfect pairing
- Lemon- Just the zest to add some color
How to make Pickled Blueberries
Pickling blueberries is a simple process. First, you will place the Cloves and Cinnamon Sticks onto an 8×8 inch piece of cheese cloth. Gather the edges of the cloth and secure them with twine to form a pouch. Then add the Red Wine Vinegar and Spice Bundle to a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring them to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. The smell of clove and cinnamon are going to take over your kitchen in a very good way.
Next, gently stir in the Blueberries into the vinegar and cook until it is heated through, about 4 to 5 minutes. While the berries are heating, gently slosh the vinegar and berries around being careful not a break the berry skins. Traditional mixing is too rough and will cause breakage. Then, remove the pot from heat, cover it up, and let the berries, spices, and vinegar sit at room temperature for 12 hours.
After 12 hours, place a colander over a large bowl and strain the berries, being sure to capture the liquid in the bowl! Remove the Spice Bundle and discard. Move the berries to sterilized canning jars and return the liquid to the sauce pan and place it back on the stove. Mix in the White and Brown Sugars and bring it all to a boil. Cook the liquid, stirring occasionally, until it thickens into a syrup. This will take about five minutes.
The Canning Process
Now pour the hot syrup over the berries. Be sure to leave 1/2 to 1 inch of space between the top of the liquid and the lip of the jar. Now get real tidy and clean the rims of the jars with a wet paper towel. This step is important to achieve a good seal while processing. Next, dress each jar with a sterilized lid and screw on a ring to hold it all in place.
Next, place a canning rack in the bottom of a large stock pot. Fill the pot 1/2 to 3/4 full with water and bring to a roaring boil over high heat. Carefully lower the jars into the boiling water, leaving space between all the jars. Make sure the water in the pot is at least 1 inch over the top of the jars. Cover the pot and let boil for 15 minutes. Remove the jars from the boiling water (carefully) and allow the jars to cool and enjoy!
Possible Variations
I’ll have a hard time believing you’re sick of eating this recipe. But if it does happen, try substituting different berries, like raspberries or black berries. Or go hog wild and pickle mixed berries together. Making a batch of all three will make your charcuterie boards pop and I suggest pairing pickled raspberries with sharp cheddar cheese.
If it is something sweeter you’re after, try using balsamic vinegar as a one to one substitution for red wine vinegar. While this recipe has both white and brown sugars in it, it does end up more tart than sweet. Balsamic vinegar may balance the flavor profile for those with a true sweet tooth.
How to serve Pickled Blueberries
My favorite way to serve this recipe is over goat cheese on a crostini, but don’t let that limit you. These berries make a great addition to vanilla ice cream and I love them poured over buttermilk pancakes. You can also use them as a high flavor substitution in baking recipes that call for blueberries.
Pickled Blueberries w/ Goat Cheese
Equipment
- Cheese Cloth
- Twine
- Canning Jars w/ Lids
- Large Stock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 Pints Blueberries (Fresh)
- 1½ Cups Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Cup Whites Sugar
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Tsp Whole Cloves
To Serve
- 1 Loaf Baguette
- Goat Cheese
- Lemon Zest (For plating)
Instructions
- Place the Cloves and Cinnamon Sticks onto an 8×8 inch piece of cheese cloth. Gather the edges of the cloth and tie with kitchen twine to secure. Add the Red Wine Vinegar and Spice Bundle to a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Gently stir in the Blueberries into the vinegar and cook until heated through (4-5 minutes). While heating, gently slosh the vinegar and berries around being careful not a break the berry skins. (Traditional mixing is too rough)
- Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 12 hours
- Place a colander over a large bowl and strain the berries, being sure to capture the liquid in the bowl! Remove the Spice Bundle. Move the berries to sterilized canning jars.
- Return the liquid to the sauce pan and place over medium heat. Mix in the White Sugar and Brown Sugar and bring to a boil. Cook until thicken, stirring occasionally. (4-5 min)
- Pour the hot liquid over the berries. Be sure to leave 1/2 to 1 inch of head space. Clean the rims of the jars with a wet paper towel and place lids and screw on rings.
- Place a canning rack in the bottom of a large stock pot. Fill the pot 1/2 to 3/4 full with water and bring to a roaring boil over high heat. Carefully lower the jars into the boiling water, leaving space between all the jars. Make sure the water is at least 1 inch over the top of the jars. Cover the pot and let boil for 15 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the boiling water (carefully) and allow the jars to cool. If any of the lids do not pop after 1/2 an hour, clean the rims and repeat step 7
To Serve
- To make the crostini, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cut your baguette into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake the bread for ten minuets, remove, and let cool.
- To construct: spread coat cheese on crostini, spoon berries over the cheese, and sprinkle lemon zest( if using).