Low Sugar Blueberry Jam
It's easy to make your own low sugar blueberry jam, with tons of fresh fruit flavor! Try it, and you'll never want to go back to store bought!
Servings 6 cups
Calories 69kcal
Equipment
- OXO Good Grips Nylon Potato Masher for Non-Stick Cookware,Black,1 EA
- Qimh Colander collapsible, Colander Strainer Over The Sink Vegetable/Fruit Colanders Strainers With Extendable Handles, Folding Strainer for Kitchen,6 Quart
- Kitchen Utensil Set Wood,9 Pack Wooden Cooking Utensils with Holder, Natural Teak Wooden Spoons for Cooking,Wooden Spatula,Turner,Strainer,Ladle,Egg Whisk,Slottled Spoons
- Measuring Cups and Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set
- Pyrex Prepware 8-Cup Glass Measuring Cup with Lid
- Ball Golden Harvest Mason Regular Mouth 8oz Jelly Jar 12PK 'Vintage Fruit Design', RM 8 Oz, Clear
- Cuisinart 766-24 Chef's Classic 8-Quart Stockpot with Cover, silver
Ingredients
For the jam:
- 8 cups whole raw blueberries to yield 5 cups mashed blueberries.
- 3 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 box low sugar pectin
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice either fresh or bottled
Equipment:
- 6 half-pint Mason jars with lids
- Potato masher
- Ladle
- Large wooden spoon or silicone spatula for stirring
- Large wide pot like a soup pot for cooking
- Water bath canner
- Canning funnel
- Jar lifting tongs
Instructions
- Wash and inspect six half-pint canning jars. For a processing time under 10 minutes, sterilize empty jars in boiling water for 10 minutes below 1,000 feet, adding 1 minute for each additional 1,000 feet of elevation. Keep jars hot until filling; a dishwasher wash alone is not sterilization for this short process. Prepare lids according to their manufacturer. Chill two small ceramic plates for checking the jam.
- Wash the blueberries, and pick off any stems. Mash them with a potato masher, or process carefully with a food processor to get the texture you want. Measure the sugar, and reserve ¼ cup to mix with the pectin.
- Mix the pectin, lemon juice, and ¼ cup sugar in a small bowl or measuring cup.
- Place the blueberries in a large cooking pot, and add the pectin mixture. Over medium high heat, bring everything to a full boil that does not go down when stirred. Stir the entire time so the jam does not burn. At this point, add the rest of the sugar, stir well, and bring the jam back to a full boil for one minute. Remove from the heat. Jam continues setting as it cools; a cold-plate test is an early texture check. If a cooled batch is too soft, follow the pectin manufacturer’s tested remake directions rather than adding an arbitrary extra amount.
- Skim off foam. Keep the jam hot for filling; gently stir to distribute the fruit. Have clean lids ready according to the lid manufacturer’s directions. Do not leave the jam to cool before packing it into hot jars.
- Fill your jars, using the ladle and funnel, leaving 1/4 inch of clearance space at the top of the jar.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp towel. Place the lids on the jars and secure with rings. Do not screw the rings on too tight.
- For shelf-stable storage, use a tested blueberry-jam recipe matched to your specific low/no-sugar pectin, including its ingredient proportions, jar size, headspace and altitude-adjusted processing time. Pectin brands and package sizes are not interchangeable. Do not assume this older recipe’s generic box measure establishes a tested canning formula. If you cannot confirm a matching tested formula, cool promptly and refrigerate or freeze the jam instead of storing it in the pantry.
- For jars processed using a matching tested canning formula, turn off the heat, remove the canner lid and wait 5 minutes before lifting the jars upright onto a towel. Cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours, then check seals and remove the bands. Refrigerate unsealed jars promptly. Label and store properly processed, sealed jars in a cool, dark, dry place; use within a year for best quality. Refrigerate after opening and discard the entire jar if mold or other spoilage appears.
Notes
Measure 5 cups of mashed blueberries; the 8-cup whole-berry quantity is an estimate. This recipe contains added sugar. Do not substitute regular pectin or omit sugar without switching to a tested recipe designed for that product.
For shelf-stable canning, follow a tested recipe matched to your exact low-sugar pectin, including its ingredient proportions, jar size and altitude-adjusted processing time. If no matching formula is confirmed, cool promptly and refrigerate or freeze the jam instead. Refrigerate after opening; discard the entire jar if mold or other spoilage appears.