Homemade Blueberry Jam {Low Sugar Recipe for Canning}
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If you have a pile of fresh blueberries you don’t want to go bad, preserve them for later by making this low sugar blueberry jam! You can actually make this jam completely sugar-free, sweeten it with honey, or make it with just a little sugar. It’s the perfect way to preserve the harvest without making your teeth hurt!
I love making homemade jam, but sometimes I don’t want to specifically because of the sugar content. My body does best with minimal sugar, and most regular jam recipes require nearly equal amounts of sugar to fruit! At that point, the sugar really takes over. It’s a bit much!
That’s why I always keep a stash of Ball’s Low or No-Sugar Needed Pectin in my pantry. You can use it to make your own jam with minimal sugar, sugar alternatives, like honey, or without any sugar at all.
It works with strawberries, peaches, pears, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cherries, so you can use this low sugar pectin in lots of different ways. It’s really fantastic and easy to find in major grocery stores or online. I get mine at my local Fred Meyer!
Overwhelmed by berries? Learn how to freeze blueberries (my favorite low-effort method) or dehydrate blueberries to add to oatmeal, trail mix, granola and more.
Why you’ll love this low sugar blueberry jam recipe
- Low sugar recipe – Unlike traditional jams, which require significant amounts of sugar, this low sugar jam uses much less sugar. In fact, it can even be made without any sugar at all or with honey or a sugar substitute!
- Adaptable – My favorite thing about this type of pectin is that you can scale your batch up or down depending on the amount of fresh blueberries you have on hand. It’s great for small batch canning, but you can also multiply the recipe by 5 to get up to 10 half-pints!
- Preserve the harvest – Canning is one of my favorite food preservation methods, and I particularly love that it’s shelf-stable. This means that if the power goes out, your stash of jars won’t be affected. Plus, it tastes wonderful on toast, pancakes, waffles, and more!
Equipment
To make this low sugar blueberry jam, you’ll need some basic canning equipment:
- Hot water bath canner (or a pressure canner that you use as a water bath canner)
- Clean jars (2 half-pint jars per batch)
- Large pot or large saucepan
- Food processor (or a potato masher)
- Jar lifter
- Headspace tool
- Several clean kitchen towels
Ingredients for Low Sugar Blueberry Jam
- Fresh blueberries – These need to be mashed or pureed. I blitzed mine in a little food processor to make things easy. Always make sure to measure the berries after mashing, not before.
- Bottled lemon juice – This will add enough acidity to keep the jam safe. Only use bottled lemon juice (or lime juice) for canning.
- Water or juice – To add sufficient liquid. I used water, but you can use extra lemon juice, blueberry juice, etc.
- Ball Low Sugar Pectin – This recipe is NOT interchangeable with other types of pectin. It’s only safe with this particular variety.
- Sugar – The great thing about this recipe is that you can use regular sugar (up to 1/2 cup per batch*) or replace it with honey or a sugar substitute. I used regular white sugar, which added a nice sweetness that enhanced the flavor of the blueberries.
Note about using Ball Low Sugar Pectin
One of my favorite things about this pectin is that you can adjust it based on the amount of fruit you have on hand. There are also two basic recipes: one with low sugar and one with no sugar.
You need to pick one version (low or no sugar) and follow specific measurements to make 2 half-pint jars (a single batch).
If you want to make more jam, simply multiply the ingredients in the basic recipe by the number of batches. Do not exceed 5 batches (10 jars).
How to Make Blueberry Jam
1. Gather your equipment and thoroughly clean your workspace and canning equipment. Measure out all of your ingredients and blend or crush blueberries.
2. Add at least several inches of water and your jars to your water bath canner. Bring the water to a low simmer to warm the jars while you prepare the jam. Clean your lids and bands with hot, soapy water and place them to dry on a clean towel to dry.
2. In your saucepan or Dutch oven, add the mashed berries, lemon juice, and water or juice. Stir to combine. Then stir in the pectin powder until fully incorporated.
3. Heat the mixture over high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a full boil you can’t stir it down.
4. Add the sugar or honey (if using), then continue stirring constantly until you get back to a boil. The jam needs to be at a full rolling boil for 1 minute. Skim foam, if needed. (You can also add a pat of butter to minimize foaming.)
5. Remove the preheated jars from the canner, dump any water, and place them on a clean kitchen towel.
6. Place the canning funnel into your heated jars, and ladle the hot jam until it reaches 1/4 inch from the top of the jar. Repeat with all jars.
7. Tap the jars on the counter or use the measuring tool to knock out any bubbles. Double check the headspace is 1/4 inch then wipe the rim of each jar with a paper towel damped with water or white vinegar.
8. Add a new canning lid to each prepared jar, then place the band. Turn until the jars are finger-tight. No need to over-tighten.
9. Place the jars in the water bath canner and cover with 1 inch of water. Cover with a lid and increase the heat to medium. Once the water comes to a full rolling boil, begin timing for 10 minutes. When the timer is up, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes.
10. Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a clean, dry kitchen towel.
11. Allow the jars to cool completely to room temperature, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours. If the jars did not seal, store them in the fridge. Remove the bands before storing the finished, cooled jars in the pantry.
How long to process jars
The answer depends on your elevation. These times are for processing half-pint jars only.
| Elevation | Processing Time |
|---|---|
| Sea level to 1,000 feet | 10 minutes |
| 1,001 to 3,000 feet | 15 minutes |
| 3,001 – 6,000 feet | 20 minutes |
| 6,001 – 8,000 feet | 25 minutes |
| 8,001 to 10,000 feet | 30 minutes |
Storing Suggestions
Once fully cooled (after 24 hours), remove the bands and store jars in a cool, dry, and dark place like your pantry. If properly canned, the jars will be good for years, although the lids are technically only rated for one year.
Before eating, always inspect your jars for signs of spoilage. If the lid has popped off or there isn’t an airtight seal, dispose of the contents. If the lid buckles after canning, the food must be stored in the fridge or frozen instead of on the shelf. When in doubt, throw it out.
Tips & Variations
- Change the fruit. Remember that this pectin can be used with many different fruits! You can make strawberry jam, peach jam, pear jam, and more. You can also mix different berries together!
- Make freezer jam. No need to can if you don’t want to! Feel free to keep the jam in the fridge or leave about 1 inch of headspace, chill the jam, and then place the jars in the freezer for long-term storage.
- Use smaller jars. Feel free to make smaller jars of jam, like 4 oz jars. They’re the perfect size for gifting!
- Change the amount of sugar. The ratios of ingredients are different if you want to make jam with no added sugar and jam with some sugar. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully.
- Use frozen blueberries. You can actually make fruit jams any time of the year by using frozen fruit! This is a great way to use up that stash of frozen blueberries.
How to Use Low Sugar Blueberry Jam
This is the fun part! Your homemade blueberry jam can be used in a wide variety of ways. Here are some of my favorite options:
- Spoon over ice cream
- Stir into yogurt
- Make jam thumbprint cookies
- Use to flavor sweet rolls or to use between layers of cake
- Make a PB&J (try it with my hazelnut butter and honey wheat sourdough)
- Spread onto toast or bagels
- Make blueberry cream cheese
FAQs
Yes! I did not create this recipe—it is a tested one from the Ball canning company from the inside of the label on the pectin jars. Canning recipes must be tested for safety, and as a home canner, it is very, very challenging (and expensive) to get your recipes tested. This one is safe to follow as long as you follow the instructions carefully.
Yep! Just multiply the ingredients by the number of batches (2 8-oz jars) you want. You can increase the recipe up to 5x.
Canning math is a thing. Although we measure everything carefully, there are natural variations in the product. Plus, you may lose some jam to skimming the foam off the top while it’s cooking. It’s very normal to get 1-2 jars less than a recipe. For this batch, I 3x the recipe and had 5 and a half jars.
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Low Sugar Blueberry Jam Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor or potato masher and a large bowl to mash the berries
- Stock pot
- Mason jars with new lids
- Clean kitchen towels
- ladle
Ingredients
Low Sugar Version
- 1 1/3 cup fresh blueberries, mashed
- 1/3 cup water, or juice
- 3 tsp bottled lemon juice
- 1 1/2 TBSP Ball low-sugar pectin
- .5 cup granulated sugar, or less
No Sugar Version
- 2 cup fresh blueberries, mashed
- 1/3 cup water, or juice
- 3 tsp bottled lemon juice
- 1 1/2 TBSP Ball low-sugar pectin
Instructions
- Gather your equipment and thoroughly clean your workspace and canning equipment. Measure out all of your ingredients and blend or crush blueberries. Keep track of how many blueberries you have to adapt the recipe as needed.
- In your water bath canner, add at least several inches of water and your jars. Let them warm up over to a low simmer while you prepare the jam. Clean your lids and bands with hot soapy water, and place them to dry a clean towel.
- In your saucepan or Dutch oven, add the mashed berries, lemon juice, and water or juice. Stir to combine. Then stir in the pectin powder until fully incorporated.
- Heat the mixture over high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a full boil that you can’t stir it down.
- Add the sugar or honey (if using), then continue stirring constantly until you get back to a boil. The jam needs to be at a full rolling boil for 1 minute. Skim foam, if needed.
- Remove the preheated jars from the canner, dump any water, and place them on a clean kitchen towel.
- Place the canning funnel into your heated jars, and ladle the hot jam until it reaches 1/4 inch from the top of the jar. Repeat with all jars.
- Tap the jars on the counter or use the debubbler to knock out any bubbles. Double check the headspace is 1/4 inch then wipe the rim of each jar with a paper towel damped with water or white vinegar.
- Add a new canning lid to each prepared jar, then place the band. Turn until the jars are finger-tight. No need to over-tighten.
- Place jars into the water bath canner and make sure they are covered with 1 inch of water. Cover with a lid and increase the heat if needed. Once the water comes to a full rolling boil, begin timing for 10 minutes. When the timer is up, turn off the heat and let the jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes.
- Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a clean, dry kitchen towel.
- Allow the jars to cool completely to room temperature, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours. If the jars did not seal, store them in the fridge or freezer. Remove the bands before storing the finished, cooled jars in the pantry.
Notes
- The gel test: Scoop a small amount of jam onto a cold saucer (or stick it in the freezer for a minute). Run your finger through the center of the jam. If your finger leaves a clean trail and the jam stays on either side of the divide, it’s ready.
- The wrinkle test: On the same plate, tilt the plate sideways. When the jam starts to move down with gravity, wrinkles should appear on the surface of the jam.
Nutrition
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