Blueberry Jellies

Makes: 100 jellies

Ingredients:

3 lbs fresh blueberries or 2 cups unsweetened blueberry juice
1/3 cup vodka
2 ¼ cups + 3 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon of fresh Meyer lemon juice
½ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons apple pectin powder
Granulated or superfine sugar for dusting

Directions:

• Place blueberries in a large resealable plastic bag: push down on the blueberries to squeeze out as much of the juice as possible.  Add vodka to the plastic bag.  Let the blueberries and juice steep with the skins for about 2 hours or longer at room temperature – mix up the mixture every 30 minutes, so that the juice will extract as much color and flavor from the skins as possible.
• In a large, non-reactive sauce pan, add blueberry mixture and water.  Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes to cook off alcohol.  Reduce liquid amount to 3 cups over low simmer – do not burn /brown the fruit.
• Line a 9” by 13” baking pan with plastic wrap and set it aside.
• Sieve blueberry mixture through a chinois, pressing on the skins with a small ladle.  Measure out 2 cups of juice.
• In a large, non-reactive sauce pan, add blueberry reduction, 2 ¼ cups of the sugar, lemon juice, and the corn syrup.  Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking to dissolve the sugar.  With a fine-mesh skimmer, skim off the foam and sediment that rises to the top: continue to skim until the liquid is clear, about 10 minutes.  Keep warm over low heat.
• Combine the apple pectin with the remaining 3 ½ tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl.  Add half the hot liquid, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugar and pectin: continue to whisk until there are no lumps.  Return the mixture to the saucepan.
• Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the jelly has thickened and reached a temperature of 219 degrees F.  Immediately pour the jelly into the prepared pan.  Using an offset spatula, smooth the jelly into an even layer, working quickly, before it begins to set.  Let it sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or until completely set.

To Complete:

• Cut the jellies into 1” squares and roll them in a bowl of sugar to coat them completely.  Store the jellies at room temperature.

The French Laundry Cookbook, Thomas Keller, Pg 308-309 (modified by Leon Glover)