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!
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!
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.
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 set and always stir your jam or you will burn it to the bottom of 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 passes, 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.
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 it 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 its 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 with the sugar and lemon juice.
How much jam will this recipe make?
This recipe makes 1 large jar (450 ml) of Blueberry Jam like in the photograph.
More inspiring Recipes for a glut of Blueberries
Here are some more delicious blueberry recipes from myself and other bloggers!
- 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
More Blueberry Jam Recipes
Once you’ve made my Blueberry Jam check out the following delicious jams!
- Blueberry & Lime Jam – Fab Food 4 All
- Tutti Frutti Jam – Fab Food 4 All
- Summer Fruits Jam – Fab Food 4 All
Can you Scale up the Recipe?
You can always scale the recipe up if you have more blueberries but remember it will take longer to reach the setting point! It’s best to use a jam or long digital thermometer to help you decide when to do the chilled plate test. The temperature to aim for should be 104 – 105.5C
If you grow your own blueberries or ever see a bargain like mine, try my Simple Blueberry Jam, which makes one good-sized jar.
Pin for later!
Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
Simple Blueberry Jam – no pectin, just 3 ingredients!
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
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.
Katie
I tried your recipe and then tried another recipe with pectin so I could compare. WOW WOW WOW.
Your jam was better by a land slide. So delicious and very easy instructions to follow. Thank you so much!
I can’t wait to try other recipes of yours in the future!
Camilla
Aaw Katie, I was worried for a moment when I didn’t see any stars. So very glad that my recipe came out tops for you:-)
Jennifer
Simple and fantastic. I doubled the recipe, used frozen wild blueberries and added a touch of cinnamon to mine. Will save this one as a favorite!!
Camilla
Excellent Jennifer, so glad you like the recipe and added your own twist:-)
Jamae Lacey
Perfect blueberry jam recipe! I followed the instructions to a T and the flavor is incredible, not too sweet, just whole blueberry goodness. I hate when jam is sickly sweet!
My only note is that mine was ready in 13 minutes, but I tend to go a bit rogue with my pan temperature. So just watch the jam and not the clock!
I can’t wait to share this with my family, likely on some fresh pancakes on a lazy Sunday morning…
Camilla
So glad you like the recipe Jamae, pancakes sound like the perfect pairing:-)
Cherry
Can i use monfruit instead of sugar?
Camilla
Hi Cherry, I’m not expert on sweeteners as I don’t eat them but if you did use sweetener instead of sugar then the jam would only last a few days in the fridge as the sugar acts as a preservative. Perhaps you could experiments with a small amount of blueberries.
Annie
Absolutely amazing instructions and advice … top shelf. Thank you. We made our jam today from the last of our black grape harvest. All Jared up and we very happy. The only thing we struggled with (not in your instructions as far as we could see) was sieving to get the pips out and we also removed the skins and we boiled and got the consistency we wanted. Brill. Great advice !!
Camilla
Thanks Anne, you’ve left this comment on my Blueberry Jam, perhaps you’d like to leave it on the Grape Jam recipe post? I don’t mention sieving as my recipe used seedless grapes but readers get around seeded grapes like you in various ways. I often suggest a mouli and other people just mash the seeds into the jam.
jedagi
This recipe is pretty typical for blueberry jam. Lemon Juice aids in jelling, preserving and bringing out flavor.
I look up recipes online all the time. What I don’t understand is why ppl try to tell their life story when they post a recipe. Just give the recipe and instructions. We don’t need to know how many mountains you climbed and rivers you swam to get the ingredients.
Camilla
Hi Jedagi, I’m sorry you missed seeing the “Jump to Recipe” button but hopefully you will make use of it in future. From your comment I’m not sure if you actually made my Blueberry Jam recipe?
Jim
A) There’s a jump to recipe button at the top of the page if you don’t want to spend the 6 seconds scrolling past it.
B) It takes 6 seconds to scroll past it to the free recipe.
C) It’s a good and free recipe so how about losing the attitude.
Camilla
Thank you Jim:-)
CeeCee
Great comment, Jim I couldn’t agree more.
Camilla
Thank you for the support:-)
Charlene Chavez
I can’t wait to try this but wondering if after you fill the jars, do you lid right away and they seal themselves as they cool? How do they stay safe to eat when you are not water bathing them? Newbie here, thank you.
Camilla
Hi Charlene, yes you put the lids on the piping hot jam straight away and as the jam cools and vacuum is formed and a seal. This is how we make jam in the UK and much of Europe. The jam is shelf stable for years but at it’s very best in the first 12 months (kept in a cool, dark dry place).If you prefer to water bath, you’d need to refer to your jar instructions as it’s not something we do to jam here.
Terrie
How many cups is 600g of blueberries and, how many cups is 400g of sugar? TYVM
Camilla
Hi Terrie, you cannot convert a weight to a volume. It’s like asking how many tennis balls or footballs you can fit into a car. Some blueberries are big, some are small and I did an experiment in my own kitchen one day as I really wanted to be helpful. However, giving out wrong measurements is never going to be helpful which is what I would have to do because the maths simply doesn’t work. So as I say to everyone who wants to make recipes that work and don’t fail, just get hold of a set of $6 digital scales on Amazon and you won’t look back.
Katelyn
I added peaches into the blueberry jam and this recipe turned out FANTASTIC!! The flavours are so good!
If you’re gonna add peaches to your jam, I’d suggest using half the amount of sugar recommended as it gets super sweet otherwise. I added six peaches, and you should peel them before you cut them up into slices and add them to the mix.
Camilla
That’s wonderful Katelyn, I do love peaches in jam:-) Now wondering if you docked a star from my recipe or yours:-)
Sherri Tetmeyer
I am making this jam right now. It tastes absolutely delicious in the pan! It is however taking forever to come to a rolling boil, however I did quadruple the recipe I’m using 12 lb of grapes. Automatically got my water bath pan out to start sterilizing my jars as I wait for the mixture to boil. I’m going to look to see how long can leave them in the water bath for and it doesn’t say to leave them in a water bath is that correct no water bath?
Camilla
Hi Sherri, you mention grapes but this post is for my Blueberry Jam. Either way I would never quadruple a recipe as as you’ve found the jam will take a lot longer to boil and reach setting point. It’s better to make a couple of batches on the hob at the same time which will reach setting point a lot faster. We don’t water bath jam in the UK as botulism isn’t an issue here. If you prefer to do so you can by following your jar manufacturer’s instructions. It’s not an area I know anything about I’m afraid. The jam will be safe for years if you keep it in a cool, dry, dark place.