Homemade Blueberry Jam

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 10/20/19
Homemade blueberry jam recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
  • Total: 105 mins
  • Prep: 90 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yield: 6 half-pints (32 servings)
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
115 Calories
0g Fat
30g Carbs
0g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 half-pints (32 servings)
Amount per serving
Calories 115
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 0g
Calcium 3mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Making blueberry jam is a perfect way to preserve the taste of summer. Enjoy this delicious blueberry jam on your biscuits, scones, or muffins throughout the year. This is an easy recipe to follow and prepare using commercial fruit pectin.

The best blueberries to use for jam are those that are just ripe. They will have the best acidity and tannins to give the jam a more complex flavor. If your blueberries are too ripe, the skins can be leathery. If you don't have access to fresh blueberries, you can make this recipe with frozen, thawed blueberries.

Your homemade blueberry jam makes a great gift. You can use decorative jars or make attractive labels.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups blueberries (washed and picked over, divided)
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 (3-ounce) pouch liquid fruit pectin

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for blueberry jam
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Prepare the water bath canner and jars. Add water to a canner with a rack; add cleaned jars and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to keep jars hot. The water should be high enough to be at least 1 inch above filled jars.

    Prepare water bath canner
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Heat water in a small saucepan; put the lids in the saucepan and bring almost to the boil; lower heat to very low to keep the lids hot.

    Heat water
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Scald jars in boiling water and keep warm.

    Scald jars
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Pour about 3/4 of the berries into a large pot and mash.

    Pour berries in pot
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Stir in the remaining berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.

    Stir in remaining berries
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Immediately add the pouch of fruit pectin. Stirring constantly, bring back to the boil and continue boiling for 1 minute.

    Immediately add fruit pectin
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Skim off excess foam, if necessary.

    Skim off
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Ladle the hot berry mixture into the prepared jars.

    Ladle
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. With a clean dampened cloth, wipe the rims of the jars.

    Ladle into jar
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. Place the flat lids on the jars, then close caps with screw-on rings firmly.

    Lid on jar
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  12. Arrange the filled jars in the canner and add more water, as needed, to be at least 1 inch above the jars.

    Arrange jars
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  13. Bring to a full boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes.

    Put lid on pot
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  14. Remove the preserves to a rack to cool completely.

    Remove to a rack
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  15. Check for seals (the middle of the caps should have made a popping sound while cooling and will stay down). If any of the jars haven't sealed, you can refrigerate the jam and use it within a month, or freeze it in a plastic freezer container and use it for up to one year.

    Check for seals
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  16. Label the cooled, sealed jars with the contents and the date.

    Label jar
    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tip

  • Store your jars of blueberry jam in a cool, dark place and enjoy the jam for up to a year. You may notice that it begins to darken and thin towards the end of that period, so be sure you are using the jam within that time limit.