Blueberry Jam Recipe & Canning

Wash jars, rims, and lids in warm, soapy water. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars while they are standing up. Boil jars and rims for at least 10 minutes before filling them with jam. DO NOT boil lids, as this will compromise their sealing ability.

Inspect berries and wash. Remove any stems and bad berries.

Add a layer of berries to a stainless-steel pot and mash with a potato masher. Mashing the berries a little at a time is easier than all the berries at once. Heat the pot on medium heat and add 3 cups of sugar, stirring the berries constantly so the bottom doesn't burn.

Add in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Lemon juice gives the jam acid which helps in preservation and taste.

Next add in 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. These are warm spices that add a nice flavor to the jam, you can also leave them out if you choose.

Add in 1/4 cup of powdered pectin. I like to use pectin because I like thick jam. If you are looking for a thinner jam you can reduce or eliminate the pectin. Pectin is a type of soluble fiber found in fruits and vegetables, particularly in apples and citrus peels. It is most commonly known for its thickening properties in the production of jams and jellies.

Heat the jam on high stirring constantly until it reaches a full rolling boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer the jam for 10 minutes stirring frequently. If you aren't canning the jam, you can stop here, the following are canning instructions.

Remove hot jars from canner and using a funnel pour hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace.

With a butter knife or bubble tool, remove any air bubbles or air pockets in the jam.

Wipe the rim of the jars with a clean paper towel or cloth, removing anything that might prevent the jars from sealing.

Place lids and rims on jars and finger tighten.

Carefully lower jars into the boiling water bath canner spacing them slightly from one another and from the canner walls. Water should be covering the tops of the jars by 1-2 inches. Place the lid on the canner. This is important, don't start counting your canning time until water is fully boiling and up to temperature. The following information is good for pints and half pint jars. For elevation of 0-1,000 feet your processing time is 5 minutes. For elevations of 1,001-6,000 feet your processing time is 10 minutes. For elevations 6,000 feet and above your processing time is 15 minutes. Once your time is up, turn off the heat and remove the canner from the heat source if possible. Remove lid and allow the jars to sit undisturbed in the water for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, carefully remove jars from the water bath and place on a kitchen towel lined countertop. Some jars can take hours to seal however most will seal within 30 minutes from being removed from the canner and some may even seal during the water bath canning process. Leave the jars undisturbed for at least 12 hours. Make sure that all the jars sealed by inspecting the tops as they should be sucked in. If any jars don't seal, refrigerate them. Write the contents and date on the sealed jars and store in a cool dry place for up to 18 months.

Serve jam on Buttermilk Biscuits, Pancakes, ice cream, bagels, toast, in teas and lemonade! Enjoy!