Homemade Lingonberry Jam

lingonberrys (preisselbeeren in german) are a eurasian relative of the cranberry. they make a deliciuos jam that is perfect with many cheese or meat dishes. right now they can be found it lots of the woods surrounding my city so when i picked some last weekend i made my own lingonberry jam. here's how:

- fresh lingonberrys (best if picked yourself)
- a lemon
- a few allspice berrys
- a few juniper berrys
- jelly sugar

and: a pot, a grater, empty glass(es) with fitting screw-on lid(s)

if you picked the berrys yourself, wash them to get rid of all the excess leaves, stems, bugs and so. weigh the washed berrys.

put the washed berrys in a pot, grate the lemon zest into the pot, add (slightly crushed) juniper & allspice. add the same weight in sugar as the berrys and finally the squeezed juice of the lemon.

thoroughly clean the glasses that will later hold the jam.

on a middle heat, bring to the boil (stir frequently) and let boil on a low heat for about 6-8 minutes until the berry are a deep translucent red.
in the meantime rinse the glasses and the lids with very hot water.
pour the finished jam immediately into the washed glasses and put the lids on them as tight as possible.

let the jam cool down. if you washed the glasses good enough it will stay good for years. but don't wait that long, enjoy it on a piece of baguette with some camembert or with a nice roast, or however you like it best.