Blueberry Jam Without Pectin
Put those fresh summer blueberries to delicious use and be able to enjoy them all year long! Our low-sugar Blueberry Jam Without Pectin recipe is a great way to cut out another store-bought item from your pantry and replace it with some homemade berry jam!
Next, try our Blueberry BBQ Sauce!
Savor those summer berries all year long with some homemade Blueberry Jam Without Pectin! There’s no need for any added preservatives for this fresh berry jam, and this low-sugar jam lets the natural sweetness and flavor of those fresh summer blueberries really shine! Make an extra big batch to can and then enjoy those blueberries all year!
Ingredients Needed
- Fresh Blueberries – In abundance this time of year out here in Oregon! Blueberry picking is one of our favorite summertime activities!
- Sugar – We prefer a low-sugar jam because we want the sweetness of the berries to truly shine.
- Lemon Juice – This adds acidity, helps bring out the sweet berry flavor, and also adds the necessary acidity for canning and helps gel the berries without pectin.
Should I use Pectin in my Jam?
What is pectin? Well, it’s a preservative used in jams to help gel it. It’s a processed preservative that can actually reduce the natural flavors of the fruit in your jam.
Do you need to use it? Nope! You can absolutely make blueberry jam without pectin because pectin is already in your blueberries, they just need a little acid, sugar, and heat to be released.
Blueberries (like blackberries) have a moderate amount of naturally occurring pectin, which means you can absolutely make a nice and thick blueberry jam without the use of any processed preservatives like pectin.
Easy to Make
This blueberry jam recipe takes a little bit of time (to release that natural pectin), but trust me, it is worth it! Plus, the work involved is very minimal. Just add it all to a pot, give a gentle mash, bring those berries to a gentle boil, and then let simmer.
Is Less Sugar OK?
Yes! Less sugar in a jam does not affect the safety of the jam once canned. A low-sugar jam is anything less than a 1:2 sugar-to-berry ratio. Some jams are even a 1:1 ratio of sugar to berries. We prefer a 1:4 ratio, allowing the true flavor of the blueberries to be present, while still being just the right amount of sweet.
The effect of less sugar in a jam is that it will take longer to set so you will need to simmer the berries longer to let the natural pectins release. That’s why it’s best to use an instant-read thermometer to be sure when your jam has set. Also, it may reduce the shelf life of the jam once it’s opened, meaning it won’t maintain the same level of sweetness after a while in the fridge. That’s why we like to store our jam in smaller 6 oz or less jars. Both of these things are absolutely worth it to us have to a jam that’s more fruit forward jam!
Jar and Can
Use that instant-read thermometer to know when that jam is at the gel stage and then add it to your processed jars ready for canning.
Low-sugar Blueberry Jam Without Pectin! Nice and thick and ready to spread on your favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich or Como Bread toast!
Recipe Tips
Can you use frozen blueberries instead of fresh ones? Of course! Just add the frozen blueberries to a bowl with the lemon juice. Then let it all macerate (soften) in the lemon juice before adding it to a pot with the sugar to boil.
You’ll hear people say that you need to add butter to the pot once the berries start to foam. Bah. I think this is totally unnecessary, and actually not recommended if you’re planning to can this blueberry jam since it’s generally advised to not can anything with dairy.
Just use a bigger pot! The foaming of the berries is bound to happen, so in order to prevent a mess and reduce worry on your end, just use a taller pot to give that foam some space and just keep an eye on it and give it a stir once it foams.
There are a few methods you can use to tell when the jam is done, but the quickest, easiest, and most precise way to tell is to use a food thermometer. Once the jam reaches at least 221° F, you know it’s done, it will gel nicely when cooled, and you have released all of the natural pectin for a Blueberry Jam Without Pectin!
Always follow safe canning methods for sterilizing your jars and then water bathing the jam to be able to can and store this jam in your panty.
Get those fresh summer blueberries while you can so you can make this blueberry jam recipe!
Other Summer Fruit Recipes
- Blackberry Jam Without Pectin
- Strawberry Kiwi Popsicles
- Homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream
- Easy Homemade Peach Fritters
- Strawberry Bread
- Arugula Watermelon Feta Salad
- Pineapple Melon Mint Salad
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
If you want to see more, be sure to sign up for my 5 Easy Ways to Start Cooking From Scratch!
Blueberry Jam Without Pectin
Ingredients
- 6 cups blueberries approximately 2 lbs
- 1 1/ 4 – 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Jam: Add berries, lemon juice, and sugar to a large pot on medium. Use a masher to gently mash and break up the berries, releasing some of the juice. Stir so that the sugar dissolves in the juice. Turn the heat up slightly and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and let simmer, reduce, and thicken. The jam will be ready when the internal temperature of the jam reaches 221 degrees F.
- Canning: While the jam simmers, sterilize your jars and lids if canning and set aside. Once the jam is done, fill jars, being sure to leave 1/4 inch headspace, and add lids and secure tightly. Water bath to store. Always be sure to follow safe canning guidelines.
Do you know if it is safe to freeze this in silicone freezer cubes? Love those for ease of storage in freezer 🙂
Hi Deb! Definitely – what a great idea!
Hi there, for the canning section of your recipe you say to “Use safe water bath canning methods to can and store this jam for up to 1 year in a cool dry place. Be sure to always follow safe canning methods. ” Except the safe canning method sites always say to follow the processing time of the recipe. Being new to canning I would like to know what the processing time for your recipe is? Thanks so much
I love that this recipe doesn’t use pectin —- I have all the ingredients already on hand so going to try making this jam this afternoon!
Enjoy, Ali!!
My kitchen is bursting with blueberries as I took the kids blueberry picking a few days ago. We made this jam together, had a blast making it and an even better time eating it! Thanks for such detailed instructions.
Love to hear it, Stephanie! Thanks so much for sharing!
This was a such a delicious and easy recipe! So good!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review