It is blueberry season and if you have access to fresh blueberries, now is the time to can some fresh blueberry jam! My mother and I got together this past weekend and did just that. Here is her easy recipe and tutorial for making and canning fabulous blueberry jam!
Want to know how? Mom learned from her mom and has lots of great tips to make the perfect jam.
Start with fresh blueberries. We braved the heat and mosquitos and picked about a gallon of blueberries at the local blueberry farm.
To do canning, it is good to have the proper supplies. We bought small canning jars and lids, and put water on to boil. The pot on the left is full of water, the canning jars and the metal parts of the lids in order to sterilize them. Bring the water to boil The pot in the middle holds the canning rack where we will place the filled jars to seal them. Fill this pot about 3/4 full and bring that water to boil. The pot on the right is going to be used to cook the jam.
One final pot holds the round seals for the lids. You want this water to get hot, but do not boil them.
Wash the blueberries! You will have to sort through them and get rid of any little sticks or stems, mushy berries and unripe ones. One of us, and I’m not naming any names here, picked a lot of sticks.
Just saying.
For this Recipe we used:
4 cups crushed fresh blueberries
1 package of Sure Jell Powdered Fruit Pectin
4 cups sugar
We used a food processor to crush the berries. Just a couple pulses of the food processor is plenty. You don’t want it to be totally smooth. Measure out 4 cups of crushed berries.
Pour the berries in your pot and set your burner on high heat. Pour in the fruit pectin and stir constantly. You want the mixture to get to a rolling boil that you cannot stir down. Stir until it comes to that point. Then pour in the 4 cups of sugar all at once. Continue stirring until it comes back to a boil. Boil for one minute, then remove from heat- it now needs to be tested to see if it is done.
Now for an old family secret! You see berries are not all alike. If you have a wet season, the berries have more water in them. Sometimes they have more natural pectin in them than other times. In other words, the cooking time can vary depending on the berry. A glass plate that has been sitting in the freezer will help you to check for proper consistency. Simply add a spoonful of the jam onto the frozen plate and put it back in the freezer for just a few moments. Then check the consistency. If it is the consistency of jam, it is done! If it is too thin, just put the pot back on the burner for another minute and try again.
Once the jam is ready, pull a sterilized jar out of boiling water with a set of tongs, and ladle the jam into the jar using a funnel. Fill to the lower rim of the jar and then use a warm cloth to wipe the top of the rim clean before putting on the lid.
Put the sterilized lid on the jar. (It does not have to be real tight). Place the jars in the canner and lower them into the boiling water using the canning rack.
The water needs to be about 2″ above the jars. Add water if needed. Boil for 10 minutes. Gently lift the jars out one by one with tongs and put on the counter to seal.
You know they have sealed when you hear a “ping”!
Now all you have to do is eat it! Nothing better than fresh berries on a biscuit!
This recipe made 7 jars of jam. We actually ended up making another batch for a total of 14 jars and even had some berries left over for cereal. Fun project!
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FAQs
Use fresh, ripe, and firm blueberries. Unsweetened frozen blueberries may be used, but if sugar has been added, rinse it off while fruit is still frozen. Blueberries are somewhat acidic but bottled lemon juice is needed to bring the pH down and make the product safe when preserved via boiling water bath.
What is the ratio of fruit to sugar in jam? ›
Over-ripe or damaged fruit is not ideal - the jam will not set well and is likely to deteriorate rapidly. The amount of sugar you need to make jam depends on the amount of pectin in your chosen fruit, but generally the fruit-to-sugar ratio for traditional jams is 1:1 (ie. 450g/1lb sugar to 450g/1lb fruit).
How do you thicken jam without pectin? ›
The secret ingredient to making jam without pectin is time. The fruit and sugar need plenty of time to cook and thicken. A long, slow boil drives the moisture out of the fruit, helping to preserve and thicken it at the same time.
How to thicken blueberry jam? ›
Add pectin.
Whisk a tablespoon of powdered pectin (preferably the no-sugar-needed variety) into the pot of cooking jam. Test for thickness and add another tablespoon if needed. Learn More About Pectin: What's the Deal with Pectin?
What happens if you forget to put lemon juice in jam? ›
If your recipe called for lemon juice and you forgot to put it in, your mixture will not be acid enough for safe canning. You have to open the jars and put the mixture into a sauce pan. (If you made the jam or jelly recently and you carefully remove the lids without damaging them, you can re-use the same lids.)
What is a substitute for lemon juice in blueberry jam? ›
Substituting vinegar for lemon juice in homemade jam recipes is an easy way to avoid the hassle of dealing with the tartness of lemons, as well as the risk of getting a mouthful of lemon seeds.
Will adding more sugar thicken jam? ›
Jams made from fruits with higher sugar content thicken on their own more easily than those with less sugar. A no-sugar or low-sugar recipe might not call for enough sugar to naturally thicken the jam, even at a rolling boil.
Should you stir jam while it's boiling? ›
Do no stir jam once boiling, but use a wooden spoon to check it is not sticking on the base of the pan. Stirring lowers the temperature and delays setting point being reached. It is wasteful to remove scum too often. Do it at the beginning and at the end.
Can you reduce the amount of sugar when making jam? ›
Sugar is critical in gel formation. By using special commercial pectins, the amount of sugar used in making jam and jelly can be reduced or eliminated. These products will have different characteristics than regular jam and jelly.
What is a substitute for pectin? ›
What Are Substitutes for Pectin?
- Citrus peels. Citrus peels—especially the white part, or pith—are naturally packed with pectin. ...
- Cornstarch. Cornstarch is a natural thickener that works as a seamless substitute for pectin.
- Gelatin. Gelatin is a viable option for non-vegans or non-vegetarians.
- Extra sugar.
Cornflour (or cornstarch) combined with lemon juice is a great alternative to pectin. It thickens up jam really well, combined with the sugar and heat.
What is the best thickener for jam? ›
If you really want to thicken it to a more spreadable consistency, the easiest way is to heat it up with some thickeners such as cornstarch. Arrowroot flour is more delicate and taste-neutral, but most cooks won't have it. Unflavored gelatin may also be used.
What is the difference between blueberry preserves and blueberry jam? ›
In jams, the fruit is mashed with sugar and (usually) pectin. It produces a firm-ish spread, though not necessarily as firm as jelly and it has fruit bits in it, unlike jelly. Preserves have larger chunks of fruit floating in a sugary syrup that is looser than jam or jelly, but thicker than a sauce might be.
What to do when your jam doesn't set? ›
For every 4 cups of jam that needs to be remade, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon powdered pectin. Pour the jam into a low, wide pan and add the sugar and pectin combo. Stir until the sugar and pectin has dissolved.
Why does lemon juice thicken jam? ›
Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.
What does lemon juice do to blueberries? ›
Lemon juice- A little citrus juice enhances the tart flavor of the blueberries! Use fresh lemon juice for the best taste. You can also use orange juice or lime juice if it suits the flavor of the dessert you're serving the macerated berries with. Adding a teaspoon of lemon zest or orange zest would be delicious too!
Do you have to add lemon juice when canning? ›
One tablespoon bottled lemon juice = 1/4 teaspoon citric acid When one is canning something in a boiling water bath, it is vital that that product be high in acid. The reason is that the presence of a concentrated amount of acid is what inhibits botulism spores from germinating into…
Why add lemon juice to berries? ›
Not only does the lemon juice add just the right amount of acidity to balance out the sweetness of your strawberries, but the zest also provides plenty of pectin to set your jam.
Are blueberries acidic enough to water bath can? ›
Fruits can be canned with the boiling water bath method because they contain high enough acid levels to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum spores and the production of botulism toxin.
