Beginner’s Guide To Making and Canning Blueberry Jam
Preserve and enjoy summer’s fresh blueberries with this beginner’s guide to making and canning homemade blueberry jam.
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A few weeks back, I gave a friend a jar of strawberry jam, and she gave me a huge compliment. Her daughter loved the jam and ate the entire jar!
My friend asked me if I would show her how to make jam. Would I? Of course! What a great opportunity to spend some time with friends!
Since strawberries are out of season, we opted for blueberry…my favorite. I recently went blueberry picking and the berries were plump, juicy, and plentiful!
This recipe for blueberry jam is super easy…only 4 ingredients.
And, it makes 12 8-ounce jars. So there are plenty to enjoy, while saving some for gifts.
A jar of homemade blueberry jam, wrapped in ribbon, makes the perfect gift. Put these away for the holidays and you have a great little gift for a hostess, teacher, colleague, or neighbor.
Let’s get started!
Blueberry Jam Ingredients
For this blueberry jam, you will need:
- 10 cups of blueberries
- a box of 1.75 ounce of Sure Jell pectin
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice
- 7 cups of sugar
Materials Needed for Canning Jam
In addition to the jam ingredients, you will need a canning set. I have a Ball canning set. This is a similar canning set. It includes the stockpot water bath canner, rack, and utensil set. I have had it for about 12 years and continue to use it.
Lastly, you will need 4-ounce or 8-ounce jars, with lids. Please note that the jars can be reused, but the canning lids cannot. Once the lids are processed, they may not be processed again.
Prepare your materials for canning
I just run my jars, lids, and rings through the top rack of my dishwasher before I plan on making jam, so they will be ready.
Before beginning the jam, heat water in your canning stockpot, so it will be ready when the jam is done.
Now…let’s make blueberry jam!
Making Blueberry Jam
Rinse the blueberries and remove stems.
Over medium heat, in a large pot, add two cups blueberries. Use a potato masher to crush the berries.
Continue adding blueberries and crushing them until you have added all 10 cups.
Stir in lemon juice and the box of pectin.
Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly over high heat.
Now this the time to add some sweetness…
Add the sugar, one cup at a time. Use a whisk to stir constantly.
Bring the blueberry jam to a hard boil for one minute and continue to stir.
Canning Your Blueberry Jam
Using a funnel, fill each jar, leaving about 1/4 inch at the top.
Place lids on jars and screw on rings.
Now you are ready to process this sweet goodness.
Once the water in your canning stock pot is boiling, use your jar lifter to lower your jars into the rack.
Let the jars process in the boiling water for 5-10 minutes.
Use the jar lifter to carefully remove the jars from the water. I usually place my jars on a cooling rack, where I allow the jars to cool for 12-24 hours.
As the jars of jam are cooling, you may hear the lids pop! The lids should concave in the middle. This is how you know that they are successfully preserved.
I hope you preserve this summer’s bounty and do some canning of your own! If you have any questions about making or canning jam, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask.
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Beginner’s Guide to Making and Canning Blueberry Jam
Ingredients
- 10 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 1.75 ounce box Sure Jell pectin
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 7 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
Making Blueberry Jam
- Rinse the blueberries and remove stems.
- Over medium heat, in a large pot, add two cups blueberries. Use a potato masher to crush the berries.
- Continue adding blueberries and crushing them until you have added all 10 cups.
- Stir in lemon juice and the box of pectin.
- Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly over high heat.
- Add the sugar, one cup at a time. Use a whisk to stir constantly.
- Bring the blueberry jam to a hard boil for one minute and continue to stir.
Canning Your Blueberry Jam
- Using a funnel, fill each jar, leaving about 1/4 inch at the top.
- Place lids on jars and screw on rings.
- Once the water in your canning stock pot is boiling, use your jar lifter to lower your jars into the rack.
- Let the jars process in the boiling water for 5-10 minutes.
- Use the jar lifter to carefully remove the jars from the water. I usually place my jars on a cooling rack, where I allow the jars to cool for 12-24 hours.
- As the jars of jam are cooling, you may hear the lids pop! The lids should concave in the middle. This is how you know that they are successfully preserved.
I’ve always wanted to try canning but never knew what I was doing. After reading this, I’m going to try to give it another try! Great post.
Hope you give it a try and enjoy it, Erica! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
Great for a housewarming gift, who doesn’t love blueberries.
Yes, a perfect housewarming gift! I hope you have a great week ahead!
I’ve never canned anything! I remember, in the days before air conditioning, how hot our kitchen used to get when my mom canned stuff.
But you’re right: canning your own jam makes such a beautiful and personal gift!
My husband likes to make freezer jam.
I have never made freezer jam. I will have to check that out and give it a try! 🙂
It’s that time of year again! Love making the jams and jellies. My family enjoys counting the pops of the sealing jars.
Yes…it is that time of year! Love harvest time and preserving all of the goodness of the season! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
Home made jam is such a classic. The home made jams are so much better than their commercial counterparts because they have way more fruit in them resulting in a much better flavour. My daughter in law makes batches of jam for us every year and gifts them to me. They make such a wonderful gift and I think of her every time I open a jar.
How wonderful! Isn’t it the best when a food brings about such a happy memory and feeling?! Thank you for your kind comment, Leanna. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
I hope I have enough blueberries for this tasty jam next year
Thank you for your kind comment, Amber! I hope you can give it a try! Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
There’s nothing better than homemade jam! I’ve never tried to make it before, but this is totally inspiring!
Is this 10 cups of whole berries or 10 cups crushed?
10 cups of whole berries. 🙂
Surely gonna try this, seems easy. And my kid loves blueberries.
I hope you enjoy the jam! Please let me know how canning works for you! 🙂
This sounds delicious. I’m looking forward to giving it a try.
Would this be the same recipe for different types of fruit?
Thanks so much, Anna! I have made strawberry jam as well, using the same ingredients and slightly different ratios. Hope you’re having a happy summer!
Thank you for this easy recipe. Have you tried this recipe using the 4 ounce jars? Does the processing time change? Thank you very much.
Thank you, Kim! I have made this using 4 ounce jars and used the same processing time. I hope you enjoy it! Happy Summer!!