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You are here: Home / Preserves / Simple Blueberry Jam – no pectin, just 3 ingredients!

Simple Blueberry Jam – no pectin, just 3 ingredients!

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Simple Blueberry Jam - no pectin, ,just 3 ingredients!
Simple Blueberry Jam in a jar - Pinterest image.
Simple Blueberry Jam - no pectin, just 3 ingredients!
Close up of Blueberry Jam in a jar with a cut lemon. Pinterest image.
Simple Blueberry Jam in a jar with a cut lemon. Pinterest image.

My Simple Blueberry Jam is made with just 3 ingredients and no added pectin. It tastes out of this world good, no wonder it’s so popular!

Simple Blueberry Jam - no pectin, ,just 3 ingredients!
I have never made blueberry jam before but I’m thrilled to bring you my Simple Blueberry Jam recipe today after a freak bargain find at the weekend!

I managed to find 4 trays of blueberries priced up at £3 each for 3 p each, there was a whole crate that were on their sell by date.

We ate one tray but the rest were destined for jam, although I did have to throw away just over a third of the remainder as they were soft and over ripe (which is not good for eating or jam making).

However, I’m really not complaining at that price, I’ve never seen blueberries so cheap nor so many of them reduced before!

Blueberry Jam in a jar with spoon, aerial view.

I can’t remember the last time I had blueberry jam! But I have never had home-made blueberry jam!

I can’t tell you how amazing this Simple Blueberry Jam is. The depth of flavour is just incredible and totally delicious.

The Pectin Debate

I was reading about the pros and cons of pectin use in jam the other day. The point was made that although by using pectin you achieve a shorter cooking time and a slightly higher yield, you don’t get the intensity of flavour that you get with a longer cooking time where more moisture is evaporated away.

I had never really thought about this before as I never use pectin or jam sugar in my recipes.

Well apart from my first ever jam where I used jam sugar but I didn’t like the stiff texture.

Also, looking back, the flavour was not a patch on my One Punnet Strawberry Jam which just uses lemon juice to aid the setting.

Simple Blueberry Jam - no pectin, ,just 3 ingredients!

Blueberries are naturally low in pectin so apart from using only the firmest just ripe or slightly under ripe fruits you need to add pectin or lemon juice which aids the gelling process by interacting with the sugar.

If you’ve never made jam before it’s never too late to learn, I only started making jam in the last 4 years and just got hooked.

Jam making Tips

The important things are to sterilise your jars, freeze some saucers for testing and always stir your jam or you will burn it to the bottom or your pan.

If you get the set too runny you can always pour back your jam and boil it up again until it reaches setting point. You get better at judging this as time goes on but I’ve only ever got it wrong once.  I like a soft set jam but I pushed the boundary a bit far that time.

Simple Blueberry Jam in a jar with teaspoon.

How long will Blueberry Jam keep and how should it be stored?

As with all homemade jams, it’s best eaten in the first year but jam will last years and be safe to eat as the sugar acts as a preservative.

Just store in a cool, dark, dry place (I keep mine in a cupboard in my garage).

Once opened, keep in the fridge and eat within a few months. Using a clean spoon to serve it will preserve it’s shelf life.

Can you use frozen blueberries to make Blueberry Jam?

Yes, just use them in place of fresh blueberries, they will thaw when you heat them up with the sugar and lemon juice.

How much jam will this recipe make?

This recipe makes 1 large jar (450 ml) or Blueberry Jam like in the photograph.

Simple Blueberry Jam in a jar with cut lemon & blueberries surrounding.

More inspiring Recipes for a glut of Blueberries:

  • Apple & Blueberry Tarte Tatin – Fab Food 4 All
  • Rhubarb & Blueberry Tarte Tatin – Fab Food 4 All
  • Blueberry & Lemon Soda Bread – Fab Food 4 All
  • Blueberry & Banana Pancakes – Fab Food 4 All
  • Fresh Blueberry Flapjacks – Tinned Tomatoes
  • Blueberry Banana Buckwheat Layer Cake – Domestic Gothess
  • Blueberry & Rose Almond Bars – Tin & Thyme
  • Blueberry Custard Ice Cream – Kavey Eats
  • Blueberry Brioche – Patisserie Makes Perfect
  • Blueberry Orange Upside Down Cakes – Family Friends Food
Tutti Frutti Jam with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries & lemon.

Tutti Frutti Jam

More Blueberry Jam Recipes:

  • Blueberry & Lime Jam – Fab Food 4 All
  • Tutti Frutti Jam – Fab Food 4 All
  • Summer Fruits Jam – Fab Food 4 All

If you grow your own blueberries or ever see a bargain like mine then do try my Simple Blueberry Jam which makes one good sized jar.

You can always scale the recipe up to make more if you have more but remember it will take longer to reach setting point!

Let me know how you get on by leaving a comment and rating below.

Better still  tag @FabFood4All on social media with your pictures as I love seeing my recipes come to life!

Pin for later!

Simple Blueberry Jam in a jar with a cut lemon. Pinterest image.

Simple Blueberry Jam in a jar with cut lemon & blueberries surrounding.
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Simple Blueberry Jam - no pectin, just 3 ingredients!

Simple Blueberry Jam has a depth of flavour you will never experience from shop bought jam. This 3 ingredient, no added pectin recipe is a sure fire winner!
Course Breakfast, Snack, teatime
Cuisine American, British
Keyword blueberry, jam, lemon
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes minutes
Total Time 33 minutes minutes
Servings 1 x 450 ml jam jar (large)
Author Camilla Hawkins

Ingredients

  • 600 g firm blueberries stalks and mushy ones removed
  • 400 g granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  • Wash the blueberries in a colander.
  • Put the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice into a preserving pan.
  • Place the pan over a gentle heat to slowly dissolve the sugar crystals, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time.
  • As the sugar starts to melt and the fruit warms up, take a potato masher to mash the blueberries, leaving some whole if desired.
  • Once the sugar has completely dissolved turn up the heat and bring the pan to a rolling boil and time for 15 minutes, stirring all the while (to prevent the sugar burning on the base).
  • Take the pan off the heat and test a few drops of the jam on a frozen saucer and place in the fridge for a minute. If when you push your finger through it the jam forms a crinkle and is gel like then it’s ready. Otherwise boil for another couple of minutes and repeat process until ready.
  • Pot up the jam in a sterilised hot jar using a small ladle or jam funnel.
  • Screw on lid immediately.
  • See notes for storage instructions.

Notes

Put 2 saucers in the freezer before you start. 
Sterilise 1 x 450 ml jar by washing in hot soapy water or take straight from dishwasher, filling with boiling water, emptying and then placing in oven for 20 minutes at 140°C then leave in oven until jam is ready. Washed lids should be sterilised with boiling water and then left to drain.
Once cool in the jar this jam is ready to eat.
Store in a cool, dark, dry place and consume within 12 months for best colour and flavour although will be safe to eat for many years. Once open keep in fridge and use within a few months.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sharon AnnecBoulware

    28/11/2023 at 2:36 pm

    Can I make this recipe with fresh (but frozen) berries thawed out as I have an abundant supply and want to make some for little Christmas gifts for friends/family?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/11/2023 at 11:15 pm

      Hi Sharon, yes you can use frozen fruit for any jam recipe but always use from frozen and not thawed to keep as much juice in the fruit as possible.

      Reply
  2. Eileen Broadmore

    21/10/2023 at 1:08 pm

    Love your Jam recipes so easy to follow. We have now made some Blueberry jam and then some Seedless Raspberry jam. Everyone loves them both
    Thank you for sharing your recipes with us all.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      21/10/2023 at 11:56 pm

      Aaw, thank you so much Eileen, that’s made my day:-)

      Reply
  3. Martha

    21/09/2023 at 9:48 pm

    This recipe and your step-by-step directions made my first experience with making jam such a wonderful experience. I used frozen blueberries and the jam is delicious. Thank you for this recipe and especially the easy to understand directions

    Reply
    • Camilla

      22/09/2023 at 12:23 am

      That’s so wonderful to hear Martha, thank you so much and so glad you like the jam:-)

      Reply
  4. Rhona

    16/09/2023 at 7:26 pm

    Love this jam, so easy to make! I’ve now followed your recipes for blueberry, raspberry and apple and bramble jams and they all taste fabulous and it’s really easy to follow. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      17/09/2023 at 12:36 am

      Aaw, that’s so wonderful to hear Rhona, makes me very happy:-)

      Reply
  5. Michelle

    10/09/2023 at 3:45 am

    Do you water bath them after put in jars with lids on

    Reply
    • Camilla

      10/09/2023 at 4:36 pm

      No, that’s not something we do in the UK but if that’s what you’re more comfortable with then you’d need to refer to your jar manufacturer’s instructions. All my jams are shelf stable and best eaten within a year but would be “safe” to eat for many years (provided they’re stored in a cool, dry, dark place).

      Reply
  6. *ason Garett

    04/09/2023 at 5:33 pm

    This recipe worked great! I used Huckleberries and Habenero, but followed the recipe otherwise- perfection! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      04/09/2023 at 10:51 pm

      Cool, I just had to go and Google Huckleberry as wasn’t sure what it was but I see it looks similar to a blueberry. Now wondering if it tastes the same in jam?

      Reply
  7. Laura Osborne

    02/09/2023 at 10:00 pm

    I have made 2 recipes of blueberry and one of strawberry-rhubarb. Both are wonderful. I did have to cook the Strawberry about 5 min total longer….
    Use of a digital scales helped me with the conversions instead of trying to convert from Grams to cup, since it is not precise.
    I haven’t made jam in many years, but found the directions and terminology easy enough for anyone.
    Of note do you have a marmalade recipe??
    Best
    Laura O

    Reply
    • Camilla

      02/09/2023 at 11:36 pm

      So glad you like the recipes Laura. I do have a Shredless Orange Marmalade but you can keep the shreds in it if you prefer. https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/watermelon-jam/

      Reply
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