Easy 30-Minute Blueberry Jam
Ingredients
Both freezer jam and jam that will be canned with a hot water bath start out with the same ingredients:
- 4 cups prepared crushed fruit buy about 1-½ quarts (997g) (of fully ripe blueberries
- 1 box (1.75 ounces or 49g) powdered fruit pectin (I use the yellow SURE-JELL - don't use the pink box for this recipe.)
- ½ teaspoon butter or margarine
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For SHELF STABLE jam that you will store at room temperature and use a hot water bath to preserve:
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Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
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Stem and crush blueberries thoroughly, with either of the methods explained in the post above.
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With a dry measuring cup, measure exactly 4 cups of the prepared fruit into a large pot (6-8-quarts). Stir the pectin into the blueberries in the pot then add butter (reducing foaming).
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Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred on high heat), stirring frequently. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute, again stirring frequently.
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Remove from the heat and skim off any foam with a thin metal spoon.
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Ladle immediately into the prepared jars, filling to within ¼ inch of the tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly.
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Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to a gentle boil. Process 10 min.
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Remove jars and place them upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing the middles of lids with your finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)
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Refrigerate this jam after opening when not in use.
For FREEZER JAM that you will store in the refrigerator or the freezer:
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With a dry measuring cup, measure exactly 4 cups of the prepared fruit into a large pot (6-8-quarts). Stir the pectin into the blueberries in the pot then add butter (reducing foaming).
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Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred on high heat), stirring frequently. Stir in sugar. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, again stirring frequently.
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Remove from the heat and skim off any foam with a thin metal spoon.
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Ladle immediately into the prepared jars, filling to within ½ inch of the tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly.
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Allow the jam to sit at room temperature for 24 hours then refrigerate or freeze.
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After the initial 24-hour resting time, keep jam refrigerated or frozen when not in use.
Recipe Notes
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
Generally we include a Metric conversion button for those of you who prefer to weigh ingredients as well as for those of you who live outside of the U.S. The button is there for the conversion of the pectin and the amount of fruit to purchase. However when you measure the crushed fruit for the jam itself, it’s best to use a 8-ounce dry measuring cup to ensure success.
This recipe yields 96 1 tablespoon servings or 48 ounces of jam. The number of jars that it makes will depend on the size of your jars. The jars pictured in this post are 6-ounce jars so I got 8 jars of jam.