When it comes to canning, blueberries were my gateway fruit (although they didn’t usher me through the doorway into the realm of canning preoccupation until I reached adulthood). Growing up, I’d often pick them with my family, but I always left the jam-making and canning to my mom, participating only when it came time to squish the berries into jammable shape with my fingers (there’s something so deeply satisfying about crushing those juicy little blue orbs into pulpy bits).
However, one fateful July day during the summer of 2007, my friend Seth and I decided to go blueberry picking and everything changed. That summer, I was in grad school and he was unemployed, so we both had free time on our hands. It was the first time I had gone berry picking without parents, a sibling or babysitting charges that needed to be entertained. We spent at least two hours out in the blueberry field, filling up our buckets and eating until our fingers were stained blue and our stomachs were ready to burst with fruit.
Later that day, when I was home alone with my berries, I did the thing that was innate. I called my mom for canning advice, ran across the street to the hardware store for some jars and pectin and made my first solo batch of jam. Thinking back on it now, it’s hard to imagine a time when I had so little canning experience, when I hovered anxiously over my filled jars, praying for them to seal (admittedly, there are times when I still check and recheck freshly processed jars, only able to relax when they ring out a ping of sealed success).
Since then, I have made at least 100 batches of jams, marmalades, fruit butters, chutneys and pickles. However, blueberry jam will always feel familiar, foundational and necessary in a way that no other fruit can match. Summer doesn’t feel complete without at least one blueberry picking trip and a batch of homemade blueberry jam cooling on the kitchen counter.
We’re heading into the end of blueberry picking season here in the mid-Atlantic region, but there are still to be found if you look (as a side note, if you’re interested in the history of cultivated blueberries, check out this interesting little article). You can also get them at the grocery store for relatively cheap prices, if you don’t have any u-pick farms in your area.
For those of you who want skip out on making your own batch of blueberry jam (or just need a little delicious inspiration), I have one half pint jar of this jam to give away. Leave a comment on this post in order to enter. I’ll close the giveaway on Friday (August 7th) at 5 p.m. eastern time. Good luck!
And on to the recipe…
Blueberry Jam
6 cups of smashed blueberries (you’ll need 8-10 cups of unsquashed berries to equal this amount)
6 cups sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
1 box (two packets) liquid pectin
Fill your canning pot with water and begin to bring it to temperature. Wash your jars and rings in warm soapy water and set aside. Put your lids in a small pot of water and heat (but do not boil) in order to soften the sealing compound.
Add smashed blueberries and sugar to a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and add cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice and let jam continue to cook for about fifteen minutes. Add pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full five minutes.
Turn off the heat under the jam and fill jars. Wipe rims and apply lids. Screw on the bands and lower into the water. Process in the hot water bath 10 minutes. When time is up, remove from water and cool on the counter. When the jars are cooled, check the seal by pressing on the top of the jar. If there’s no movement, the jar has sealed. Store up to one year in a cool, dark place.
Eat atop fresh scones or biscuits for maximum enjoyment.
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Comments ( 73 )
[...] going to get it going before the current giveaway concludes (you have until the end of today to throw your hat in the ring to win a jar of homemade blueberry jam). You might have noticed that a number of food blogs are giving away a Fresh Preserving Kit from [...]
Food in Jars » Seattle Canning Class + Giveaway added this comment on Aug 07 09 at 10:27 am[...] got a blueberry jam winner! The randomizer selected #20, which corresponds with the comment left by Rebecca. Congratulations [...]
Food in Jars » Blueberry Jam Winner added this comment on Aug 08 09 at 9:44 pm1. Eliza Devroe added this comment on Aug 03 09 at 11:08 pmLooks yummy! Colin and I want to start canning too!
2. Tim M added this comment on Aug 03 09 at 11:56 pmMy first jam was strawberry-blueberry! I still have never canned anything, it went into the freezer. Your blog makes me wish I had more free time to get into the hobby!
3. Kasey A added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 12:05 amMmm, that looks so good.
Too bad we don’t have blueberry pick-your-own farms here.
4. Karen added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 12:16 amI love blueberry jam! Have you tried blueberry-rhubarb jam? It’s our absolute favorite of all the jams.
5. Mike S. added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 12:21 amHomemade blueberry jam! Sounds delish.
6. RCL added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 12:22 amYumsies. Please let it be me this week!
7. Jacquelyn added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 1:41 amOoh, I want to make some! I’m making so many jars of fruit jam, though! I guess I need to just keep my batches small so I can have all this great variety. YUM!
8. Jeanne added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 1:42 amSigh. Blueberries are food of the gods and goddesses. That’s all I have to say!
9. bcteagirl added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 1:51 amWow that looks so nice! I have not had time to do any canning this year yet, but I hope by the time I get back home the Saskatoons (Similar to blueberries) will still be out in force
10. Lisa added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 2:39 amFor me, it’s strawberry jam and raspberry jam. I prefer the freezer jam for them though, because I find it just has a fresher, truer flavour. Blueberry picking is starting very soon up here in northern Canada, and I love canning blueberry syrup for pancakes (my recipe says to strain the berries out before canning, but I like to leave them in.)
11. Amelia added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 5:05 amI love blueberries. Last year I made my weight in blueberry butter and syrup. It was my first year canning, so I didn’t know how much to can. Well come February or March, no canning food left. This year doubling or tripling things. On all my days off canning is commenced in my household. I’m enjoying every minute of it. I’m going to make blueberry jam this coming weekend. I made sweet cherry jam yesterday. Wonderful is not the word. First time in Jam Land for myself. I made alot of freezer jam last year and some this year. I want to make more regular jam. Everyone enjoy the blueberries while they are still here. Luckly I found a 10 lb. box at the farmers market for $25.00. Great deal!
12. Amelia added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 5:11 amI have a question. I noticed you have used liquid pectin in several of your jams. Any reason why? Does it make better setting? Let me know!
Amelia, I use liquid pectin because it gives the jam a more natural, soft set than the powdered stuff. I don’t like the rigid set that jam takes on when you use powdered pectin. However, I’ve been told that the liquid pectin is harder to find, so if you can’t find it, feel free to substitute in the powdered pectin. -Marisa
13. Karen added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 7:14 amI am becoming highly addicted to home made jams and jellies
14. Mama Urchin added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 8:13 amBlueberries are such a good first canning experience because you don’t even have to chop them. What size are those squatty jars and where did you get them?
Mama Urchin, it’s true about about blueberries being a good first experience. I love that the prep necessary to make blueberry jam is so little! Those squatty jars are the Ball’s Collection Elite and the ones pictured are pints. They also make some very cute half pints that I like. The one problem with these jars is that they’re a bit more expensive than the standard jars, so I’m careful to only use them when I’m making a small batch of something that I’m going to give away. -Marisa
15. tigress added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 8:24 amblueberry jam is one of the favorites around our household too! i can it with lots of lime or lemon, the perfect combo!
16. Andrea added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 8:54 amOoo, I never would have thought of adding nutmeg! It sounds like a terrific idea.
17. jess added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 8:58 amI can’t get enough of blueberries right now. I love the addition of lemon. Mmmm.
18. Angie B added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 10:27 amOh my, I love blueberries and the thought of homemade blueberry jam sounds deeeeelish!
19. Kelli DeCora added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 10:29 amWow, looks delicious!! I love your story and your addiction to canning
20. Rebecca added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 10:34 amI was inspired before, but you’ve given me the courage to act on my inspiration: last weekend I undertook my first canning ptroject(cherries). It was terribly exciting. Tonight: cucumber pickles!
21. Ann P. added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 10:56 ami love blueberry jam on pancakes! i made a batch last year, but havent managed it this year.
22. Elizabeth added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 11:30 amMy boyfriend and I are just getting into canning. We got the Blue Ball book in the mail yesterday, made salsa & pickles this past weekend, and reeeeeally want to make jam soon! I have some peaches from the Farmer’s Market, but I bet the U-Pick blueberries would be even better! I can’t wait to try out your recipes!
24. Teacher A added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 1:58 pmAh, if only you’d had this recipe up two weeks ago, I might have made blueberry jam. They were incredibly cheap for a week there, but no longer.
25. Chloe W added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 2:29 pmThis looks so tasty and wonderful! Perhaps when I get around to making my cherry jam (8 cups of pitted fruit in the freezer…) I can make blueberry too. Thanks for the inspiration!
26. Valerie added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 3:50 pmI’m inspired by your blog – prior to this I had only every canned watermelon pickles, but have now started in on canned peaches and peach syrup.
27. Charlotte added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 4:47 pmI love blueberries. Sadly, the only farm within 35 miles where you could pick them was sold to a developer for houses. However, the supermarket has had some good ones at pretty reasonable prices, maybe not for jam making but at least for munching. I like to add them to cereal, to biscuits, to yoghurt, to my hand for fresh munching.
29. Jane added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 5:22 pmYes, please add me to the list of wanting to win the jar of jam.
30. Whitney added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 6:46 pmI don’t think I have ever tried Blueberry Jam. Hint Hint.
31. Kath added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 7:17 pmJust in time to squish up the last of the blueberries on our bushes this year! Yes! This looks delicious!!!
32. pam added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 7:32 pmWe barely got a handful off of blueberry bushes this year. Though, the birds are smiling!
33. Emily added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 7:49 pmI love blueberries . . . I’ve never tried canning, but I make a wicked plum/blueberry crumble that is one of thee best things I’ve ever eaten. This recipe looks so easy that I may have to cross the divide and start making it myself!
34. Stephanie added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 8:04 pmMy mom and I are making jam as wedding shower favors tonight, and we struggled to find a recipe using liquid pectin that wasn’t overloaded with sugar…we’re so happy to find your recipe. Many thanks from the Motor City!
35. Deborah added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 8:28 pmI just planted my first blueberry bushes, so I’m a little way from making my own. But I’d love some of yours!
36. Sally Kennedy added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 8:35 pmI bet my husband and I went through a bushel of fresh blueberries when they were cheap here in NE Ohio, in cereal, pancakes and our favorite, blueberry-peach crumble. They are one of nature’s perfect fruits.
37. Laura added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 8:37 pmCrazy. I was just searching your site last night for a blueberry jam recipe. I’ve been reading for a while, but this is the first time I ever attempted food in jars myself, and last night, I’m happy to report that I successfully canned my first canned produce ever, blueberry jam.
39. Jackie added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 10:07 pmI don’t know why I can’t get over my fear of canning… I love jam.
40. caroline added this comment on Aug 04 09 at 11:18 pmwhoa, no wonder you don’t want to come to work tomorrow! I wouldn’t either.
41. Karen added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 1:36 amMmmm…. it looks delish!
I tagged you on my 100 mile blog. Check it out, if you want to see what it’s about.
42. Mary Setzer added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 10:00 amThis looks so yummy! Trying to make this will tide me over until your canning tomatoes class at Fosters – really looking forward to that!
43. Serina added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 10:45 amBlueberry jam is the best. Thanks for the great site.
44. Kyle added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 12:39 pmOoh, blueberries are the best. Now I’m jealous. I’ve never had fresh blueberry jam before. Looks so good!
45. sfordinarygirl added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 2:49 pmI just bought a pint of blueberries yesterday! Perfect timing as I’ll be stocking up and making this jam.
46. Jessie added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 3:03 pmlooks delicious – such a pretty color!
47. Amy added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 4:48 pmI have never made jam on my own but I have done some with my sister over @ Cannin’ & Jammin’. Blueberry is so good! As a child I went picking with my mom and sister
48. Meryl added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 5:32 pmI’m thinking of making some blueberry jam, but I was wondering–is it seedy at all? I made a batch of raspberry last summer, and ended up giving most of it away because I didn’t like the crunchies.
49. Kisslets added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 6:19 pmAbout how many jars does one batch of jam make? I want to make a few different kinds to give away at Christmas time, and this blueberry looks delicious!
50. Michele added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 6:21 pmmmmmmmm….blueberrie jam sounds great!! its my step-dads favorite!!!! and the last time we made bluberrie jam i lost my purity ring…..and we thought it was in the JAM!! oh no!!!
but luckly we found it in some towls i wiped my hands on..well hope you enjoyed my story?? good luck to everyone!
51. lauren added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 7:37 pmis smashing just so they’re smoother, less ‘whole-fruit’ at the end?
i have to admit, this looks great (as usual)!
52. Kim added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 9:05 pmSounds yummy.
53. mia added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 9:47 pmI was just coming here hoping to find something blueberryish since I might go pick some this weekend (if there are any left). Awesome, I hope to make this soooooon! yum.
54. Debbie Chamlee added this comment on Aug 05 09 at 10:30 pmI love blueberry jam! I tried to make some this summer but it turned out to be blueberry syrup! But thats ok it will be very good on pancakes & ice cream! I would love to have some jam!
55. Stacy added this comment on Aug 06 09 at 1:02 amI’d love to try your blueberry jam! I made peach freezer jam today. It’s so hot to be standing over the canner…
56. huebscher added this comment on Aug 06 09 at 10:59 amjust bumbled over to your site, and will now follow.
I just attempted my first blueberry-peach jam, with surprising results. most definitely to be repeated next year…the season is over down here, but I’d love to see what a veteran can do with them!
57. Melissa added this comment on Aug 06 09 at 6:33 pmA bumper blueberry season is just getting started here in Seattle. My mother has an amazing blueberry marmelade recipe – blueberries with lemon and orange segmants and zest – it’s the best thing ever on scones come January – sunshine in a jar.
58. Helen added this comment on Aug 06 09 at 8:50 pmWhere do you get liquid pectin in Philly? I tried making peach jam the other night, and it was very…. gelled. I love a looser set jam, so if liquid pectin is the way to go, then that is the way I will go!
61. Caitlin added this comment on Aug 07 09 at 11:55 amI’ve been eating blueberries like crazy this year, wish I would have saved some for this recipe!
62. Matt added this comment on Aug 07 09 at 12:45 pmWild blueberries are everywhere in my wife’s home province of Newfoundland, which is good because I’m a fiend for them!
63. Meadowlark added this comment on Aug 07 09 at 1:04 pmBlueberry jam on swedish pancakes. YUM!!!!
64. Emily added this comment on Aug 07 09 at 2:35 pmBlueberry jam was my first too. I think I waaaay overcooked it because I was so nervous about it gelling. MY daughter and I made over 4th of July weekend so we called it “Red, White and Blueberry Jam.” I’ve since made a blueberry-lime jam that has won raves. I would have never thought of that combination but it works!
65. bashtree added this comment on Aug 07 09 at 4:23 pmI never really thought “hmm, maybe I should try canning sooner rather than later” until I saw the headline of this post. YUM!
66. Jenn FL added this comment on Aug 07 09 at 6:50 pmWow … that looks amazing! I love the colour!!
68. Amy L added this comment on Aug 09 09 at 3:05 pmKroger had blueberries for $1/pint, so I bought enough to eat, and make some jam, too. This recipe looks yummy! I love your blog. It’s great to find one that has canning recipes and tips, plus great giveaways!
69. Amber added this comment on Aug 10 09 at 1:27 pmSo far, my gateway has been my mom’s salsa. It’s the only thing I’ve canned. But I just bought some pectin, and I am READY to do this!
I love your blog – found through a Canvolution tweet. I will be keeping up from now on, and your blueberry jam recipe may be my first jam canning adventure.
Amber <3
70. Janet added this comment on Sep 02 09 at 12:25 amWhat is the yield for this recipe? Sorry if this is the dumbest question of all time.
71. Nancy added this comment on Sep 09 09 at 1:31 pmI have a question… my berries are all frozen (I have picked 9 gallons this season). When I “squish” them should they stay frozen or come to room temp?
72. tonyb added this comment on Feb 03 10 at 11:12 amHello,
I really appreciate the calm, level headed advice and experience you give at your website.
This week I am going to try putting up blueberry jam. I live in a small apartment with what I laughingly call Barbie’s Dream Kitchen: a small kitchen with small appliances. A regular sized canner will not fit on top of my stove. If I use a small stockpot and stack the jars will it derail the water bath process? Must the jars be processed in a single layer?
I’m am in the process of getting rid of all my plastic ware for storage and am slowly replacing it with glass. I’ve begun intentionally buying things in glass jars at the supermarket: first I use the contents then I use the jars for storage later.
Love the site,
TonyB
73. shorty added this comment on Mar 12 10 at 7:24 pmI just found your blog and am SUPER excited!!! I wanted to know if I could use frozen blueberries? OHHHH so much to look at here! Thanks
Shorty