Summer Blueberry Jam

This delicious blueberry jam made from in-season summer blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice couldn't be more simple to make.

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Photographs: Jennifer Latham

Why It Works

  • By selecting berries that aren't too ripe, you'll get more pectin, acidity, and tannins in the batch, which results in jam with a better, jellied texture and richer, more complex flavor.
  • Avoiding very ripe fruit will prevent jam with an overcooked taste and leathery texture.

This delicious blueberry jam made from in-season summer blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice couldn't be more simple to make. The key is to select the best berries: Namely, a mixture that includes mostly just-ripe berries with a few under-ripe berries as well.

July 2014

Recipe Details

Summer Blueberry Jam

Active 90 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 96 servings
Makes 12 jars

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds, 8 ounces blueberries, preferably small, mostly just-ripe berries with some under-ripe berries as well

  • 1 pound, 12 ounces sugar

  • 1/4 cup fresh juice from 2 lemons

Directions

  1. Mix everything together in a large mixing bowl and scrape into a large pot or jam-making vessel.

  2. Cook berries on medium-high heat, stirring very frequently, until blueberries have released enough liquid to dissolve the sugar, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring just enough to prevent scorching on bottom of pot, until berries are foamy, about 10 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring more frequently and lowering temperature as foam begins to subside, 10 to 20 minutes longer. Cook until most of the fruit is disintegrated and bubbles have slowed down and become glossy, about 10 more minutes (times can vary depending on fruit).

  3. Test for doneness: Turn off heat and set a small spoonful of jam in the freezer for 5 minutes. Jam is done once it holds together and doesn't run off the spoon when tilted; if jam is too runny, return to low heat and continue to cook, stirring frequently and repeating doneness test every 5 minutes, until jam passes test. Eat right away, or can following your canning equipment instructions (read more on canning here). Canned jams can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Special Equipment

Wide pot, scale, canning supplies

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
42 Calories
0g Fat
11g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 96
Amount per serving
Calories 42
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 0mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 1mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 14mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)