fresh blueberries and sliced lemons on a piece of denim

Blue Sunshine Jam

 

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5 from 1 vote
Blue Sunshine Jam is an original recipe by Renée Joslyn of Freakin’ Flamingo jams in So. Miami, Florida. It is a low-sugar cooked jam made with Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Pomona’s Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener.

Notes

If you’re not sure if your jam is sweet enough, taste it after the pectin is dissolved and jam has come back up to a boil. Not sweet enough? Add more sweetener and stir 1 minute at full boil.
Servings 5 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 smaller lemons
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice bottled
  • 2 cups mashed blueberries
  • 2 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
  • 1 ½-2 cups sugar
  • 2 ½ teaspoon Pomona’s Pectin mixed with sweetener

Instructions

  • Before you begin, prepare calcium water.
    To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.
    Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
  • Wash and dry the lemon(s). Cut off the ends and discard. Remove seeds. Cut the lemon(s) into thick slices, cut the slices in half, and pulse in food processor until finely chopped. Add to sauce pan.
  • Wash blueberries, remove any stems/debris and mash blueberries. Measure fruit into sauce pan.
  • Add water, lemon juice and calcium water to sauce pan, bring to a boil and mix well.
  • Measure sugar or room temperature honey into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sweetener. Set aside.
  • Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. Gradually add pectin-sweetener mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
  • Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.

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26 Responses

  1. Abigail Hageman
    | Reply

    I don’t know if I did something wrong but I tried to double the batch. I used 4 cups of mashed blueberries, 4 cups of water, etc. and it tastes watered down. 🙁

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      With the 4 cups of water, did you also use the 4 lemons?

  2. Mona Stutes
    | Reply

    Why 2 cups of water in this recipe? Your recipes that come with the pectin don’t have extra water so just wondering. I made though and it’s delicious but more a “sauce” than a jam which I happen to prefer! Thanks, Mona

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You are right Mona! We believe this recipe should call for 2 1/2 teaspoons of pectin, not 1 1/2. We have updated it now. Thank you for pointing that out!

  3. Jane Cage
    | Reply

    I made this once and am making it again today. It is delicous!

  4. Holly
    | Reply

    I made this recipe today (I used 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup monk fruit sugar) and it is delicious! I’ll definitely be making more. Thank you for a delightful recipe!

  5. Rebecca L Ross
    | Reply

    Are key limes ok?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Rebecca,
      You can replace the lemons with Key Limes and you will need to increase the lemon juice to 1/2 cup.
      Happy jamming!

  6. Rebecca L Ross
    | Reply

    Are Meyer lemons ok to use in this recipe?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yes, they sure can! You will just need to increase the bottled lemon juice to 1/4 cup. Happy jamming!

  7. Marilyn Bohl
    | Reply

    How can I use this Recipe and or the other blueberry recipe (blueberry Marmalade) with No sugar Please can you direct me …Thank you

  8. Zaneete Thon
    | Reply

    Can I use blueberry juice instead of mashed blueberries? If so, will that change the amount of pectin that I use?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Zaneete,

      You sure can! Yes, you will need to increase the pectin to 3 1/2 teaspoons and the calcium water to 3 1/2 teaspoons.

      Happy jamming!

  9. Tammy
    | Reply

    Hi! Super excited to try this. Can you substitute limes for the lemons?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can! That sounds delicious 😊

      • RedBlueSpice
        | Reply

        Made this today and I’m wondering if I mashed properly. Ha ha. Is there supposed to be bits of blueberry skins left? It’s not suppose to be a purée, so I left them. I also “forgot” to add the lemons in the saucepan until after I had added the sugar and pectin. Consequently, the mixture had a bit too much heat and I’m thinking that is why my jell is loose/weak? Could the loose jell also be caused by my mashing issue. It was a mix of purée like and bits of skin. Perhaps I mashed too much or not enough? I put in the correct amounts of pectin and calcium. When it is refrigerated, it jells a little bit more, but is still on the looser side. Is this jam supposed to have lots of bits in it? Anyway, interesting day canning. The Christmas jam turned out phenomenal! One win. One miss. I love lemons and blueberries! Hoping I can figure this out.

  10. Ellie Winslow
    | Reply

    I had to try this is for no other reason than the delightful name! Really delicious! Kind of like Blueberry lemonade!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      We are so glad you liked it Ellie! It one of our MOST favorites! 😊

  11. Dana L Bower
    | Reply

    I’m sorry I have a few questions, I’m very new to canning. Can you substitute raspberries in place of the blueberries? Could you use frozen blueberries instead of fresh: Can you use 4 ounce canning jars and if so does the processing time change? Lastly can this recipe be halved to make a smaller batch?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Dana, Welcome to the Pomona’s family! Great questions too😊

      1. Yes, you can substitute raspberries for the blueberries, that sounds delicious and the acidity would be just fine.

      2. Yes, you can use frozen fruit for the cooked recipes. It’s best to use unsweetened frozen fruit. Defrost, but don’t drain, frozen fruit before using. Generally you use the liquid from the frozen fruit along with the fruit unless you notice that there is an excessive amount of liquid, in which case you would ladle off some of the excess liquid before measuring your mashed fruit. If you are going to juice the fruit for jelly, then you would use all of the liquid.

      3. 4 or 8 oz jars are what we recommend, and the processing time stays the same for either size.

      4. Yes! Any recipe of ours can be halved, or multiplied. Just be sure to adjust each ingredient accordingly.

      Happy jamming!

  12. Leslie
    | Reply

    How does 2 cups of berries yield 5 cups of jam?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      2 smaller lemons
      2 cups water

      2 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice
      2 cups mashed blueberries
      2 teaspoons calcium water
      1 ½-2 cups sugar

      Between the water, lemons, blueberries and sugar…this recipe will make about 4-5 cups of jam.

      Happy jamming!

  13. Lois
    | Reply

    Do you use the rinds of the lemons?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yes indeed, you will simply slice the ends off before cutting into chunks and pulsing.
      Happy jamming!

  14. Penny
    | Reply

    This jam is so amazing delicious! We made it both with organic blueberries gleaned from our friend’s farm when his season was over and local lemons using 1 1/2 cups sugar and also replacing the sugar with 3/4 cup local honey.

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