Canning Blueberry Jam Recipe

This blueberry jam recipe is so easy! It can be made with either fresh or frozen blueberries. Step by step photos for how to can it.

The best part of making your own jams and jellies, besides the obvious flavor difference, is that you control the ingredients. There are no ingredients that you can’t pronounce and none of the preservatives found in commercially available products.

I have a confession. After making my own jams and jellies for years now, I cannot, and I mean cannot eat store bought jams. I would rather go without!

My jams need to be a little sweet and a little tart, just like fresh fruit. I prefer a low sugar jam. So I always use low sugar pectin. If you are making low sugar preserves, it’s important to use the low sugar pectin to ensure it gels.

I always go a little heavy handed with the lemon juice and a little light on the recommended amount of sugar.

That way, the jam retains more of the fresh fruit flavor. The lemon juice just brightens up the jam so much.

What you need

• blueberries – use either fresh blueberries or frozen (thawed) berries
• water – or use a mild fruit juice like apple or white grape
• lemon juice – Important! Only use bottled lemon juice. The acidity is tested and consistent.
• pectin – use low sugar pectin if making low sugar jam
• sugar – substitute sugar substitutes or honey for processed sugar.

Once you have a few basic tools, making your own homemade blueberry jam, is super easy! You will need a canning pot with a rack so that the jars don’t clunk around and crack while they are boiling.

Don’t miss our complete step by step guide to canning.

How to make it

• If using fresh berries rinse in a colander and drain. If using frozen berries, remove from freezer, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Pro Tip: Place them in a large container so that they don’t leak all over the refrigerator.
• Measure out all of your ingredients before starting.
• Mix pectin with 1/4 cup sugar. This aids in the pectin not forming clumps.
• Place fruit, water or juice and lemon juice in a large pot. Bring to boil over high heat. Mash fruit with a potato masher or like tool.
• Add pectin/sugar mixture. Bring to boil over high heat that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly.
• Boil for one minute.
• Add remaining sugar. Bring back to a boil that can’t be stirred down, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.

How to can the jam in water bath canning pot

• Wash jars. Heat them so they are not cold. It is no longer recommended to sterilize jars if processing more than 10 minutes but they should be heated. Pour hot water over lids. Put aside until needed.
• Remove jars from heat. Fill hot jars with hot jam leaving 1/4″ headspace (the space between the top of jam and the top of the jar).
• Remove air bubbles with plastic or wooden tool (chopsticks work great).
• Wipe rims with damp paper towel.
• Top jar with lids.
• Secure bands fingertip tight.
• Add jars back to canning pot. Bring it back to a boil. Start timer at 10 minutes and process jars in boiling water. Adjust for altitude. See recipe below for details.
• Once time is up, turn off pan from (gas stove) or remove from heat (electric stove). Allow jars to sit in hot water for about 5 minutes.
• Remove to counter and leave undisturbed for about 24 hours. After 24 hours check to make sure lids have sealed. (If lid flexes it has not sealed properly and should be stored refrigerated.)

Store jars that have sealed in a cool, dark place for 12-18 months. Refrigerate after opening.

About Commercial Pectin

There is some debate regarding prepared pectin. Pectin is a naturally occurring product in all plants. Different plants have different amounts and types of pectin. The reason we use pectin, is that you have to develop less natural pectin from the fruit you are using.

I made lemon marmalade several years ago and used a recipe that did not use prepared pectin. It developed the existing pectins in the lemon seeds and pith. The only problem I found is that the marmalade caramelized the sugar because it had to cook so long.

For this reason, the color is not the lovely yellow I was looking for, but a mousy brown! The next time I make lemon marmalade I will definitely use pectin, instead of cooking it so long.

This is an interesting article regarding pectin. There are different grades of pectin, as well. For this Low Sugar Blueberry Jam Recipe, use this low sugar pectin.

How to store jam

Store processed, sealed jars in a cool dark place, like a basement. Small batches can be made and refrigerated.

How long will jam last?

Sealed jam jars will last one year in a cool dark place. If using the new Ball brand lids that are guaranteed for 18 months then they will be good for at least that long.

Jars that are not processed will store in the refrigerator for a couple months, if they are unopened. Opened jars will last at least a month.

Although you don’t technically need this awesome set of canning tools, for less than $20 bucks it saves you a ton of time and burns!! Obviously, jars are a must. They are available pretty much everywhere in the US, from grocery stores, to tractor supply stores, to hardware stores, or here on Amazon.

So to get started canning, you need less than $100 worth of specialty tools! It’s well worth that when you think of all the money you will save and how wonderful it will be to have homemade jams!!!

Pro tips for your success

• Use either fresh or frozen blueberries to make jam.
• Adjust your time for altitude.
• If you’d like to make jelly rather than jam, run the berries through a vegetable strainer or juicer to remove skins.
• Use up to ½ cup of sugar in each batch. I usually use between ¼ and ½ cups.
• Recipe can be multiplied but do not do more than 5 times the recipe as written.
• The yield will be less the less sugar that you use. In other words, if you use ½ cup of sugar, you will end up with 2 half pints. If you add less sugar, you will end up with less jam.

How to use this jam

• pancakes
• French toast
• English muffins
• toasted brioche or rye bread
• ice cream topping
• cheesecake topping

Other delicious jams for canning

• rhubarb jam
• strawberry jam
• cherry jam
• apricot jam

Tools I Use to Make Low Sugar Blueberry Jam

Contains affiliate links, for full disclosure, see FTC Disclosure, here.

• canning pot
• canning tools
• low sugar pectin
• jelly jars

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase something, at no additional cost to you. See FTC Disclosure, here.

This homemade blueberry jam recipe is like a taste of summer in the cold winter months.

Love Gardening? If you love growing your own produce, these posts are packed full of information about how to get that big harvest by the end of the season! Don’t miss How to Start a Garden Series! The first part is Planning Your Garden! Second is Preparing the Garden Site. The third is Choosing Plants and Planting Your Garden. The fourth is Garden Maintenance, and the last is Harvesting a Garden and Preserving the Harvest, this post has over 100 FREE recipes for preserving your harvest!

Connect with us through our social media pages! Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter.

If you have any questions or comments, please ask in comment section below. We’d love to hear from you!

I hope you enjoyed the recipe today!

Enjoy. And have fun cooking!

Originally published May 31, 2018. Updated February 23,2022