Use sterilized glass jars with new, tight-fitting lids. You can sterilize the jars by boiling them for 10 minutes or washing them in a hot dishwasher. Make sure they are completely dry before use.
3. Fill the jars with berries
Gently place clean berries in each jar, filling them to about 2-3 cm below the rim. Do not crush or crush the berries – they should remain whole.
4. Add lemon juice to each jar
Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to each 750 ml jar. This step is crucial because lemon juice increases acidity, creating an environment where harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum (the cause of botulism) cannot thrive.
Blueberries in Jars with Lemon Water
5. Fill the jars with water
Pour clean, filtered water into the jars, completely covering the berries. Leave about 1 cm of headspace at the top to allow for expansion during heating.
6. Wipe the rims of the jars and seal them.
Before sealing the jars, wipe the rims of each jar with a clean cloth to ensure that no fruit or juice will interfere with the sealing process. Seal tightly with clean, new lids.
7. Preparing for Pasteurization
Place a clean cloth or folded kitchen towel in the bottom of a large, deep pot. This will prevent the jars from knocking against each other or the pot while heating.
