Easy, Low Sugar Blueberry Jam Recipe

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This blueberry jam recipe is so easy! It can be made with either fresh or frozen blueberries! 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 always use the same recipe for jams and jellies from Ball.

The only thing I switch up a bit is the amounts of sugar and lemon juice. 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.

A bit off topic here, but bear with me…. My eldest son, Jake, just got his first “real” job in his preferred field. He is now officially a software engineer! (And making really good money! 🙂 ) He is further away than his mother would prefer, but I am so proud of him!

I digress, though. He drives a Toyota Prius and I have never seen so much stuff fit into such a little car!

Of course, I loaded him up with lots of Mama’s homemade goodies, so he wouldn’t forget me. 🙂 A few things he left with will be coming up on BCC soon, like Nuclear Jalapeño Pepper Relish and Zucchini Relish! A lot of what I gave him are already here on BCC, including, Strawberry Jam, Pickled Peppers, Candied Jalapeno Peppers, and Roasted Garlic Salsa!

Back to the Blueberry Jam Recipe

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.

About Commercial Pectin

There is some debate regarding prepared pectin. Pectin is a naturally occuring substance in all plants. Different plants have different amounts and types of pectins. 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.

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!!!

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!

I hope you enjoyed this Blueberry Jam Recipe today! Don’t forget to sign up for my mail list so that you don’t miss all of the new stuff coming up! Form is below the recipe! Thanks for stopping by and have fun cooking!!

Recipe

Low Sugar Blueberry Jam

Once you make your own jam, you will never want to eat store bought again!

See Step by Step Photos Above!Most of our recipes have step by step photos and videos! Also helpful tips so that you can make it perfectly the first time and every time! Scroll up to see them!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: jam

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 32 tablespoons

Calories: 7kcal

Author: Beth Neels

Cost: $5

Ingredients

• 2 cups blueberries 500 ml
• 1/3 cup fruit juice or water 180 ml
• 3 tsp lemon juice, fresh or bottled 15 ml
• 1.5 Tbsp classic pectin 22 gr
• 0-1/2 cup Sugar 113 gr

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Prepare waterbath canner. Wash jars ad lids thoroughly in hot, soapy water and rinse well. Add jars to to canner and cover with water 1 inch above the jars. Boil jars for 10 minutes. Let jars sit in hot water until ready to use.
• Pour boiling water over lids and let sit in hot water until ready for use.
  
• Combine the fruit, juice or water and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down.), stirring constantly. 
  
• Add sugar, if using. Return mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary.
  
• Ladle hot jam into hot jars. Cool to room temperature, if not canning. Then refrigerate immediately. 
  
• If preserving, ladle hot jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims clean with paper towel.. Center lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight.
  
• Place filled jars in canner ensuring jars are covered by over 1" water. Bring to a gentle, steady boil.
  
• Process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat. Let jars rest in hot water for 5 minutes.
  
• Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down in the center, when pressed. Store jars in a cool place.
  

canning tool set

canning jars- Half Pint

Water Bath Canning Pot

pH meter

Notes

Makes 2 half pints.

Recipe can be multiplied, but don't do more than 5 times the recipe. The jam has a tendency not to set properly. 

Test lids for seal. Pres center of lid down in the middle. If it flexes up and down, jar is not sealed.

Store in a cool place.

If lids have not sealed, store those jars in refrigerator and consume those jars first.

Use up to 1/2 cup sugar. I usually use over 1/4 cup but under 1/2 cup of sugar.

Nutrition

Calories: 7kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 7mg | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 1mg

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Tools I Use to Make Low Sugar Bkueberry Jam

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

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