Summertime is the time for canning, pickling, and freezing its abundant fresh fruits, berries, and veggies so when cold Winter days hit, there’s a little bit of Summer sunshine tucked away to enjoy. One of my most favorite berries to jam is blueberry. If you love blueberries, you are going to love this blueberry jam.
Blueberries had a pretty short season up here on Whidbey Island this year. Our local u-pick farm is just finishing up their closing pick. It seems like the season usually stretches a bit farther into August. In order to get another flat of blueberries before they ran out, I made a trip to Crescent Harbor Blueberry Farm. An extra trip outside of the farmers market and a bit of a drive, but well worth the time and effort. Anything for fresh blueberries, right?
To make canning easier, I use a few pieces of special equipment, specific for canning. A wide mouth funnel, a jar lifter, canning jars and something to mash the blueberries, like this, makes the job more efficient. I prefer Pomona’s pectin because the amount and/or type of sugar used can be easily adjusted to your taste. While it is a bit pricey, I’ve been able to get three batches of jam out of one package (almost 30 8-ounce jars).
To process the jars of jam, I use a large, 10 quart stockpot, like this one. It will process about 6-7 jars at a time (depending on the shape/size of jar). This is not a “special” pot, as I use it for soups, stews, and big batches of pasta. 
Blueberry jam is one of the simplest jams to make because the berries are already stemmed, and they have tiny seeds that are almost undetectable, so you don’t have to spend time destemming or using cheese cloth or a juicer to get all the seeds out. Simply wash, mash, boil, jar, and process. If you’ve never jammed before, this is a great berry to start with.
One of the most important parts of jamming is to be organized. Mise en Place before you start and make sure you have a plenty of counter space and kitchen towels! 
Although I love making jam out of blueberries, there are multiple ways to enjoy them, including eating them one hand-full at a time. For the ones not eaten fresh, I freeze as many as my freezer will hold for future use in compotes, smoothies, syrups and all things baked. 
Blueberries are incredible little juicy pieces of power-packed nutrition. They are rockstars in the food world and taste wonderful no matter how you eat them. Being a superfood, blueberries pack a phytonutrient punch and, eaten regularly, provide many health benefits. Just to name a few, blueberries increase HDL while lowering triglycerides, support cardiovascular health, promote colon health, and reduce the risk of cancer; they are anti-inflammatory, and studies suggest blueberries can postpone or slow the degradation of cognitive function usually associated with aging. To understand more about why blueberries are such rockstars, check out World’s Healthiest Foods.
When deciding how much sugar to add to the batch of blueberries I’m jamming, I always taste the blueberries first. If tart, I add a bit more sugar. If sweet, I add as little sugar as I can get away with. For this batch, the blueberries had a wonderful sweetness to them, so I added the least amount of sugar possible, according to Pomona’s package directions. The jam is still deliciously sweet without overpowering the flavor of the blueberries with sugar. Directions for sugar adjustment come in Pomona’s package, so if you have tart blueberries, let the package insert guide your sugar decisions!
With just a bit of planning and organization, you’ll have long-lasting jam love well into the Winter, if you can resist eating it all before then. And, homemade jam always makes a wonderful gift.
Blueberry Jam
Ingredients
In Pomona's Pectin Package:
- 1/2 tsp Calcium Powder prepared with water as directed below
- 4 tsp Pectin Powder
For the Jam:
- 1/2 C Fresh Lemon Juice about 3 lemons juiced
- 1 1/2 C Granulated Sugar
- 8 C Mashed Blueberries about 5 pints
Instructions
- Wash 14 8-oz canning jars, including rings and lids, in hot soapy water. Allow to dry. Place lids in a shallow dish and set aside.
- Have ready a large 10-qt pot, 2/3 full of water, 4-qt saucepan, tea kettle filled 1/2 way with water, berry masher, wide mouth funnel, jar lifter, ladle or stainless 1-cup measuring cup, large measuring cup (I like to use a 4-cup), or bowl to mash berries in, large separate bowl to hold the mashed berries, and several kitchen towels.
- Rinse blueberries in a large strainer.
- In Pomona's Pectin package, find the calcium pack. In a lidded 8-oz jar, mix 1/2C water with 1/2 tsp of calcium powder. Mix well. This will last several months (discard if powder discolors or molds). Shake well before using. Set aside. Measure out the sugar and add 4 tsp pectin to the sugar. Mix well. Set aside. Squeeze the lemons and measure out 1/2 C of juice. Set aside.
- Turn the water on to boil in the 10 qt pot and the water in the tea kettle.
- In the large measuring cup (or bowl), mash the blueberries. Do this in 2 C batches, otherwise, it's hard on your hands. Transfer mashed blueberries to a large bowl. Continue mashing in 2 C batches until you've depleted almost all the 5 pints of blueberries. Start measuring out the mashed blueberries and place 8 C total in the 4-qt saucepan. Mash more blueberries if needed.
- Turn the stove on to about medium high under the mashed blueberries. Add 4 tsp calcium water, 1/2 C lemon juice, and granulated sugar mixture. While the blueberries are coming to a boil, move the empty jars close to your canning area. Have your wide mouth funnel standing by.
- Bring blueberry mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, and scraping the corners of the pan, making sure no sugar is sticking/clumping in the corners. Boil for about 1 minute. You want all the sugar and pectin dissolved before canning. Remove from heat.
- Pour the boiling water from the tea kettle on top of the lids in the shallow pan, just until they are covered. This softens the seal for a good, strong seal on the jars.
- Place the wide mouth funnel on a jar and carefully begin filling the jars, leaving about 1/4"-1/2" of space at the top of the jar. Fill all the jars, topping off the jars as the residual blueberry mixture allows. Place lids, carefully removing each one from the very hot water, and rings on the jars.
- To process the jars, place them in the 10-qt boiling water in several batches. You'll need at least a few inches of water to cover the jars. If needed, add more water. Process (boil) for 10 minutes.
- Wipe the jars clean and dry after removing them from the boiling water.
- The jar has sealed when you hear a "pop". Test the seal by pressing the center of the lid down. If the lid can still be pressed down, the jar has not sealed. Wait for 24 hours, and if the jar still has not sealed, store in the fridge and use within two weeks.
- Before storing the jars, label the lids with the type of jam and date. Jam will keep for up to a year stored in a cool, dark place.
If you make this recipe, or any others on Vanilla And Bean, be sure to post it to Instagram, notify me @vanillaandbean and tag #vanillaandbean! I’d love to see what you’ve made! Also, if you like my content, please consider sharing it with three friends and/or family. Thank you!
I guess getting up in the morning might be just a little bit easier, knowing that there is a jar of this delicious jam waiting for you in the kitchen!
Hi Joanna! Oh yes. A little motivation never hurts! Thanks for stopping by!
Looks beautiful. I have been itching to try my hand at blueberry jam!
Thanks, Heather! Go scratch that itch! :D
Yum! I’ve only had strawberry and raspberry jams, never blueberry! This looks great :)
Hi Medha! If you like blueberries, you’d love blueberry jam! So delicious!
This looks awesome!
Traci, I love homemade Jam. My mother-in-law and my sister-in-law always make so many different types of jam, but do you believe I’ve never made one??!!! But I should make it.
Love your recipe and all your tutorial pictures.
Have a great weekend ;-)
Thank you, Olivia! I think it’s hard to get motivated when you have easy access to fresh homemade jam! HA! Go for it!
I’ve never “jammed” before! But I ALWAYS love blueberry jam. I add it to oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream, toast, pair it with savoury foods -it’s so nice! The colour is just gorgeous. I appreciate this tutorial as I have NO freaking clue how to begin. I made a chutney the other day and just froze it because I don’t know how to properly can. Definitely going to follow your how-to. I love the bright, beautiful photos too. The blueberries are just so rich looking. That toast looks like a real treat. Crunchy, sweet mmmm. Simple and delicious. I’m going to look into that pectin too, mainly because the label is SO cute. I’m a sucker for vintage food packages :)
Great post as always, Traci! I would be so proud of myself if I made jam and canned correctly. Seriously! So impressive! It takes serious know-how. Pinning this baby.
PS. If you’re looking for jam taste-testers… ahem, I can send my address ;) And that coffee cup with frothy milk is out-of-this-world cool and rustic.
Seriously, Allison, you must try “jamming” since you love blueberry jam! It’s such a satisfying experience and everyone will be so impressed with your amazing creation! You’ll be the hero of the day!
That sweet tea/coffee cup was a gift from my Ma. It was made by an artist in Port Townsend, WA. The artist inscribed a quote on the bottom “there are enough flowers in here…” A simple statement that means so much.
BTW – 80s-90s music goes nicely with jamming! he-he! :D
Ha! Love that I’m not alone in my inexplicable fear of canning, at least considering the other commenters. Would you mind just sending some to all of us? ;)
Hi Emily. Making jam really does seem daunting, until you try it! Then, you’ll wonder why you haven’t taken the plunge. I was like that before I started jamming, but I did it once and I was hooked. So were my friends and family who were/are the recipients of the jam. :D I hope you’ll give it a try.
I have been so intimidated by canning for so long, but you make it seem very manageable. I am inspired!
YaY! Nora, this is just the beginning! There are so many options for canning! Go for it!
How lucky I am to be in possession of a jar of your blueberry jam! Our own recipe is good, but I am excited to try the pectin you use to reduce sugar. As usual, you knock it out of the park!
:D Lynne! I’m lovin the reduced sugar… you can taste the blueberries! Enjoy, Lynne!
This looks so good – I want to go back and eat breakfast all over again!! I’m always a little bit afraid of canning but your step by step instructions make it look a lot less scary :). Beautiful photos, as always. Thanks, Traci!
Hi Geraldine! Do IT!! Canning is so worth the effort! :D
Oh my goodness, this is like my heaven. Blueberry jam all year round! I’m for reason scared of canning.. or just never felt like getting the equipment maybe? But you’re inspiring me to get over that! Beautiful beautiful beautiful photography
Hey Cheryl! Why, thank you! : D I get your hesitancy for sure! But after that first year of canning though, I’ve never looked back. Think December… and homemade jam. It IS such a gift! Friends and family come asking ‘you got any more of that jam…’ LOL! Well worth the investment and storage space for the few pieces of equipment.