small mason jar filled with blueberries and tag that reads "blueberries"

Blueberry Jam

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5 from 3 votes
Our classic Blueberry Jam is sure to brighten your day! Be sure to stock up your pantry in the summer months and enjoy this delightful spread all year long…you’ll be glad you did. This Blueberry Jam 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.
Feel free to use other sweeteners that measure like sugar or honey in this recipe. For example, you can use Stevia in the Raw or another Stevia product that measures like sugar, or Splenda that measures like sugar. You can also use a different liquid sweetener, like agave or maple syrup.

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

  • 4 cups mashed blueberries about 6-8 cups whole blueberries
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice bottled
  • 2 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
  • ½ cup up to 1 cup honey or ¾ cup up to 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons 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 jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a simmer. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.
  • Wash, remove any stems/debris and mash blueberries. Measure fruit into sauce pan.
  • Add lemon juice and calcium water 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. 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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91 Responses

  1. Lisa
    | Reply

    Can stevia be used in place of the sugar/honey?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      It sure can! Is it a granule stevia or a liquid?

  2. Amy
    | Reply

    Hello- do you think I could make this recipe with beautyberries? Or do you have a recipe for that?

    Thank you!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yes, you sure can!

  3. Ann
    | Reply

    Can I use a food processor to mash the berries or do I need to do that by hand?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You can, we just suggest pulsing it a couple times. If it is blended too much, it can cause a lot of foam in your jam.

  4. Daphne
    | Reply

    Just wondering why my jams and jellies look cloudy when using this pectin?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Cloudy jelly is usually due to improper juicing of the fruit. Fruit should be cooked gently rather than boiled. Dripping should happen through a fine mesh jelly bag or layers of cheesecloth. Never squeeze the jelly bag or cheesecloth. High-sugar jelly tends to have a very crystal clear look from the fact that there is more sugar than juice in the jar. The high level of melted sugar in the jelly creates that look. You may be able to obtain very clear low-sugar jelly by straining the properly obtained juice a number of times.

  5. Mandy
    | Reply

    Is it possible to add in vanilla to this recipe? Also, just curious, after you add the honey and pectin mixture the instructions say to stir 1-2 minutes to dissolve the pectin until the mix come back to boil; so are you supposed to continue to stir until it comes back to boiling? Thank you!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can! You may add up to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

      It just needs to boil until the pectin is dissolved.

      Happy jamming!

  6. Caitlin
    | Reply

    I’m curious if I could use this recipe with Saskatoon berries aka June berries or Service berries? I have scoured the internet for a Saskatoon berry jam recipe with Pomona’s and I have had no luck!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      After digging through our archives from past messages that our Master Food Preserver has answered, it looks like you will be using the blueberry jam/jelly recipe and simply replacing the blueberries with your Saskatoon/Service/June Berries. Be sure to include at least 1/4 cup lemon juice per 4 cups fruit/juice. You may also need to cook the berries in a bit of water (4 oz or so) to loosen them up and add a bit of juice to your mash before you measure out the 4 cups.

      Please let us know if you have any other questions, and if you decide to give it a go, we would love to hear how it turns out.

      Happy jamming!

      • Caitlin Bruneski
        | Reply

        Thank you so much!! I am definitely going to try this out and will let you know how it goes.

  7. Michele
    | Reply

    Can I use Lakanto ( monkfruit erythritol) instead of sugar or honey?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can. Happy jamming!

  8. Sylvia
    | Reply

    Will there be skin and seeds in blueberry jam if not strained?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Ys, but we have found that they are not noticeable.

  9. Sierra bryan
    | Reply

    I’m new to canning and I’m 500ft above sea level and I’m unsure how long to water bath

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      It would probably be safest to add an additional 1 minute to your water bath time.

  10. Christa
    | Reply

    I am excited to make jam for the first time, and wondered what you all think about dehydrating the finished product? I do not have canning supplies, but I have a dehydrator and would like to use what I have to save freezer space. I have dehydrated fruit leathers and sauces and they rehydrate perfectly, so I am curious if jam will do the same…!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Christa,

      We have never given this a try, but we cannot think of a reason why it wouldn’t work! We are not sure how long the dehydrated preserves would last once hydrated. We would love to hear how this turns out, should you decide to give it a go!

  11. Ellen Rivers
    | Reply

    If I want to use real lemon juice instead of bottled, what should the pH level be? Any tips for success?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You will need to test the pH of the lemon juice once you extract it. The pH will need to be 5%.

  12. Sandy Brown
    | Reply

    Can I use this recipe for mulberry jam?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yes you sure can!

  13. Patsy Evans
    | Reply

    can I use splenda instead of sugar or honey. Diabetes in family

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can!

  14. Maura
    | Reply

    This was amazing! I made Splenda Blueberry Jam for the diabetics in my life. They love having something they can use. I also made a jar for myself to “test”. Wow. The flavor is so good.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yum!! Well done Maura!

  15. scott bishop
    | Reply

    How can I add hot peppers to this recipe?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      We would actually recommend using THIS recipe and substituting the raspberries for blueberries. You will increase the lemon juice to 1/2 cup.

  16. Kathy
    | Reply

    Hi, can I use citric acid instead of bottled lemon juice? in the blueberry jam recipe

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You certainly can!

  17. Connie
    | Reply

    Hello,,

    I do love using this pectin and I like the low sugar option that it affords me. However, I would like to try a blueberry jam with a little more sugar than the “up to 2 cups” that the recipe calls for. Can I use more without causing a problem? Thanks.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Connie,

      You sure can, just make sure you add the desired “additional sugar” AFTER the pectin/initial sugar is dissolved into your jam.

  18. Annie
    | Reply

    Hello! If I want to strain out the seeds, at what point should I do that? Thank you!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      We would recommend doing that after mashing them. If you choose to remove the seeds, you will need to increase the pectin by about 1 teaspoon.

  19. Lila
    | Reply

    This blueberry jam recipe is absolutely scrumptious!! I’ve made it my whole family is crazy about this jam! I’ve never liked blueberry jam before of any type or brand until now. The pectin smells so good and the low sugar quantities are much more healthy.
    I do hv a question. I don’t hv any lemon juice on hand.—-And I cannot get any for awhile
    —-_could I substitute lime juice for the lemon??

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      We are so glad you love it!! Yes, you can interchange lime and lemon juice.

  20. Katy
    | Reply

    This has nothing to do with blueberries, but I am wondering which recipe to use for gooseberry jams. I have got tons, and I am looking to use them somehow. The ones I grow taste almost identical to kiwis, and it seems the acidity is very high, but I was just looking for advice on which recipe I could alter for gooseberries. Thanks!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Kathy,

      Thanks so much for reaching out and inquiring about gooseberries! Here is our best guess at a Gooseberry Jam using Pomona’s Pectin:
      3 3/4 lbs of gooseberries
      3 teaspoons calcium water
      1 cup up to 2 3/4 cups sugar OR 1/2 – 1.25 cup Honey
      2 3/4 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin

      Instructions
      1. 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.
      2. Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a simmer. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.
      3. Wash, remove any stems/debris and mash gooseberries. Measure fruit into sauce pan.
      4. Add calcium water and mix well.
      5. Measure sugar or room temperature honey into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sweetener. Set aside.
      6. Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. 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.
      7. 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.

      • Katy
        | Reply

        Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to write that out for me! I will totally try that out. 🙂

  21. Sue Richard
    | Reply

    Sorry, I’m sure this is a silly question…how do I determine what size jars are required, or does it matter?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Not silly at all! We recommend using 4oz jars or 8oz jars due to the fact the low sugar jams need to be consumed within 1-3 weeks once opened. Happy jamming Sue!

  22. Debbie Cooper
    | Reply

    Made one batch this weekend and it turned out great. Loved how it is low sugar.

  23. Brittney thiesen
    | Reply

    Excited to try your pectin! Would it affect the pH of the jam if I mixed strawberries in with the blueberries?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      That would be just fine Brittney, happy jamming!

  24. Penny
    | Reply

    I’m allergic to lemon and lime juice. What can I use?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Penny,

      If you are allergic to lemons and limes we would suggest that you do not use Pomona’s Pectin, as it is made from a combination of citrus.

  25. Richard
    | Reply

    This recipe worked great. This is now my third time using Pomona’s pectin. My sister in Australia introduced this pectin to me as a low sugar alternative. With this recipe I used the honey as suggested a full cup. The last two recipes I used Xylitol as another great alternative. All my batches turned out amazingly good even my friends that I gifted some to agree. And this being my first time canning or preserving I am now hooked and want to do batches as each fruit comes into season. I fortunately live where the fruit is grown. I also like the aspect of small batches using 250ML jars.

  26. Vicki
    | Reply

    This is my first time using Pomona’s. I like a bit more lemon flavor… can I double the amount of lemon juice? (I added lemon zest already).

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Vicki,

      Welcome to the Pomona’s Family! Yes, you sure can 😊

      • Corey Marzullo
        | Reply

        OMG! I love this pectin.
        Used it for the first time on my own adaptation of mango Ginger jam. Without 7 cups of sugar in the mix, there’s more fruit per jar, less syrup. Can’t wait to try more recipes!

  27. Savannah
    | Reply

    Thanks for the recipe! Very fast and easy to prepare and can. I put the berries through my KitchenAid food mill attachment, and used one cup of sugar. Got about 6 cups of jam, but I did over measure the berry puree a bit. It is nice to do a batch of jam in a smaller stock pot, verses dragging out the big canner, every time.

  28. Robin Morgan
    | Reply

    Can you freeze this instead of canning?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can! 😊

  29. Dawn B
    | Reply

    Could you use dates in place of the sugar?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      We are not sure how that would effect the pH of the jam. If you would like to give it a try, we would recommend freezing the finished product instead of water-bath canning.

  30. Katrina
    | Reply

    Can this be made in a half batch?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Absolutely!

  31. Kristen
    | Reply

    I’m excited to make blueberry jam for the first time with your pectin. Do I need to add as much lemon juice if I’m pressure canning?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Kristen,

      Yes, you will still need the called for amount of lemon juice.

      Happy jamming!

  32. Marilyn Bohl
    | Reply

    Is there a way to make this with no sugar or any other sweetness only the blueberries and their juice

  33. Nikki
    | Reply

    How do I make blueberry jelly as opposed to jam? I prefer the texture of the jelly. Thanks!!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You will want to use 4 cups of blueberry juice, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 4 tsp calcium water and 4 tsp Pomona’s Pectin…and no more than 2 cups of sugar.

      Happy jelly-ing!

  34. Pat
    | Reply

    I see other recipes on your site include bourbon or other liquors. Could I add Triple Sec to this recipe and maybe a few tbsp of fresh OJ?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Pat,

      You sure can! You can add up to 1/4 cup of liqueur to any of our recipes that do not already include alcohol. We would recommend adding orange zest vs. orange juice.

      Happy jamming!

  35. Jane Goldie
    | Reply

    I made come strawberry jam for the first time using pamona pectin, I added honey instead of the sugar. Truly amazing. Not to sweet. Will only use pamona going forward.
    Thanks,
    Jane

  36. Ann
    | Reply

    I forgot to add lemon juice! Should I throw away the jam because it’s unsafe?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Oh man! Yes, we would recommend that you do toss your jam. What a bummer!!

  37. Ashley
    | Reply

    In case you aren’t aware your printed directions coming from a bulk order of pectin from the website indicates 1/2 cup lemon juice in the blueberry recipe, which is extremely overpowering. I’m glad to see this drops it to 1/4 cup. Which is still a bit higher than a normal recipe, but hopefully will be much more inline from a taste perspective. Thanks!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello Ashley,

      So sorry about that! Yes, there is a type-o on our direction sheet right now. The recipe should be 1/4 cup lemon/lime juice.

      Happy jamming!

  38. Montessahall
    | Reply

    Can I use frozen Blueberries for this recipe? If so, should, they be thawed first?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can! 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.

  39. Michelle
    | Reply

    Can I double your recipes or will I risk my jam/jelly not setting? I have pint sized jars because we go through jam fast in our PBJ loving family.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      You sure can! Just be sure to double each ingredient.

  40. Eileen Gilbert
    | Reply

    Can I change out the lemon juice for lime juice to enhance the lime blueberry flavor? Thanks. I started using your Pomona’s Universal Pectin for the first time this year and I too love using it. I won’t ever go back to using other pectin’s. This is the best and I love that I am using less sugar. I make and give away about 80 – 100 jars of jam a year, so this is a much more economical way to do it. Thanks so much.

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      SO wonderful Eileen, thank you so much for all the Pomona’s love!

      You certainly may! Bottle lime juice and always be used in place of bottled lemon juice.

      Happy jamming!

  41. Am
    | Reply

    Hi! I made this recipe with fresh lemon juice but later saw that the Pomona’s Pectin blueberry jam recipe from your cookbook calls for bottled lemon juice rather than fresh. For safety, should I have used bottled here rather than fresh? Thanks in advance!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Hello there,

      We do recommend using bottled lemon juice. Your jam may be fine with the fresh lemon juice you use, but we cannot guarantee what pH level your fresh juice is. You can freeze your jars to be extra safe if you would like.

  42. Denise
    | Reply

    Can I add lime zest to this blueberry recipe?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Absolutely!

  43. Michelle M
    | Reply

    I love that these jams are low sugar and small batch. Everything we have tried so far has been delish!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Yay!! Happy jamming Michelle 😊

  44. Scott Rosecrans
    | Reply

    I wonder, what size jar is recommended for this recipe?

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      We recommend 4-8oz jars. Happy jamming!

  45. Lynette Courtney
    | Reply

    I used Pomona’s Pectin for the first time, last year, yielding almost 20 jars of home-grown fruit jams. It was so much eaiser & fun than I had imagined! This past season my 5 Patriot & Northlander blueberry bushes yielded seven gallons of berries. I also had ample strawberries raspberries, black “caps” raspberries, black currants, bush cherries & rhubarb. I gathered small amounts of my “Old Outhouse” gooseberries, elderberries, black chokecherries, black aronia, “wild raisin” viburnum & bought a pint of organic blackberries & Menonite husk cherries. The mixed fruit jams should be very interesting!!! The giant pot of crushed blueberries is on the woodstove, ready to move over to the kitchen stove to boil, while I prep jars & get a hot water bath going. This should be a several day project to complete, with all the fruit needing to be thawed, cooked & prepped for jam. I have lots of lemons, organic raw sugar, (which I will try to keep to a minimum), but expect I’ll need to make a trip to the Buffalo Mountain Co-op, (Hardwick, Vt.), for at least one more pack of Pomona’s Pectin. I can’t wait to see how many jars will be produced! I also plan to try some of the amazing “fancy” recipes on your website, like Cherry-Chocolate!

    • Shelby Collings
      | Reply

      Thanks so much for reaching out to us Lynette! Happy jamming!!

      • Caroline
        | Reply

        Hi!

        First time trying Pomona’s.
        On the paper that came with the box, the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of lemon or lime juice and on this page, it’s 1/4 cup?

        I will be making my blueberry jam with a mix of stevia and erythritol that measures like sugar.

        Thank you!

        • Shelby Collings
          | Reply

          Hello Caroline,

          So sorry about that! Yes, there is a type-o on our direction sheet right now. The recipe should be 1/4 cup lemon/lime juice.

          Happy jamming!

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