You’d think that with a you-pick blueberry farm a short drive away, I would be making huge batches of blueberry jam every summer. But after routinely picking 6+ pounds of blueberries every visit, I still gravitate towards small batches. They cook quickly without pectin (under 30 minutes!), the pint jars take up hardly any room in my fridge, and I’m left with plenty of blueberries for other things, like blueberry ice cream and mini blueberry pies! So, small batch blueberry jam it is.
Just like with my small batch cherry and strawberry jams, this blueberry jam doesn’t require pectin in order to set properly. It works with fresh or frozen blueberries. And even better, I have tons of tips here in the blog post and in the recipe card itself so that you can make this jam without any prior jam-making experience!
In the past, I’ve typically only added lemon juice, not zest, to my jams. But because lemon and blueberry go so well together, I tested a version of blueberry jam with lemon zest. It had such a bright flavor compared to plain blueberry jam that, while optional, I highly recommend adding in lemon zest!
Ingredients for Blueberry Jam
Blueberry jam is easy to make at home with just blueberries, sugar, and a lemon! I like to use both the zest and juice of a lemon, but if you only have lemon juice on hand, the recipe will still turn out fine. I haven’t tested any major substitutions or variations, short of adding a little vanilla extract or a dash of spice at the end (see the “Notes” section in the recipe card!). The following list details what each ingredient does so that you can make thoughtful substitutions, if desired.
- Blueberries. This recipe works well with fresh or frozen blueberries. I leave them whole for the added textural variety, but you can lightly chop or process them in a food processor for a more uniform texture.
- Granulated sugar. Sugar adds sweetness and helps to thicken and preserve the jam. If you reduce the amount of sugar or substitute a different kind of sweetener (like honey or an artificial sweetener), it may not set properly. Because of that, I can only recommend using granulated sugar.
- A lemon. I usually only add lemon juice to jams for the extra acidity, but lemon zest complements the flavor of the blueberries really nicely. It’s worth the extra effort of getting a real lemon, but bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch.
Quick Tips for Prepping Blueberry Jam
I love making homemade jam with fresh fruit, because it’s really beginner-friendly. All you have to do is add sugar and lemon juice to your fruit, heat it up over the stove, and stir occasionally until it reaches 220°F/105°C. That’s it; there are no special tricks or techniques for making freezer jam!
Start with washed and dried blueberries. I like to leave them whole for greater texture, but you can roughly chop them by hand or blitz them in a food processor to make a more consistent spread. (The jam will pour into jars more nicely, too!) If you’d prefer not to dirty an entire food processor, you can also use an immersion blender to chop up the blueberries after cooking.
Add your prepped blueberries to a medium pot. You may be tempted to use a smaller pot, but you’ll want the added height of a medium pot once the jam starts to boil. Jam tends to double (or even triple!) in size when boiling, and it can make a huge mess of your stovetop if it boils over.
Then, add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to your pot. I like to zest the lemon directly over the pot, then flip my zester over and use it as a makeshift strainer while I juice the lemon.
How to Make Blueberry Jam
Place your blueberry jam pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally for about 10 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot, until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have started to release their juices. It’ll take another 5-10 minutes for the mixture to come to a rolling boil, which is a boil that persists, even when stirring.
Once the jam has been cooking at a rolling boil for about 5 minutes, check to see if the jam is done. You can do this in two ways: With a quick-read or candy thermometer or a chilled plate.
Temperature Check
If using a quick-read or candy thermometer (the most foolproof method), check that the jam has reached 220°F (105°C). Sugar and water form a gel at 220°F, so this is a sure-fire way to make sure that your jam will set properly. Blueberries do have some pectin, but it’s not a lot compared to some fruits—like apple—so it doesn’t thicken the jam quite as much. Because of that, it’s imperative to cook the jam to this point to make sure it will set properly. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a sweeter version of blueberry syrup.
If you cook the jam much farther past 220°F, it will reduce the water content too much. You may end up with a stringy, gloopy jam. You can still save it, though! Once the jam has cooled to room temperature, you can stir in a splash of water a time to thin it out.
The Chilled Plate Test
If you don’t have a reliable thermometer, you can also use a chilled plate to see if the blueberry jam has gelled properly. Place a ceramic plate in the freezer to chill before you start making the blueberry jam. When the jam has cooked at a rolling boil for a few minutes and you notice the edges starting to thicken, get out your plate. Dab a couple drops of the liquid jam onto the plate. Let cool for 10-15 seconds, then tilt the plate vertically. If the jam starts to run, cook for another minute or two before retesting. If the drop stays largely in place, remove the jam from heat. (See image below for an example of runny vs set jam.)
Then, pour into jars (I like Ball’s half pint jars) and let cool to room temperature before moving them to the fridge or freezer for storage. You may want to use a funnel or a ladle to transfer the jam into jars. Jam made with whole blueberries is harder to pour smoothly into jars without any spills.
This recipe makes one full half-pint jar and about half of another half-pint jar, so around 14 ounces (or 400 ml) of blueberry jam.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
My small batch cherry jam is another great small batch jam recipe to use up fresh summer fruit.
You can use this jam recipe to make homemade toaster pastries! I originally made them with cherry jam, but they turn out well with my strawberry jam, too.
Dish Cleanup: Not Too Bad
I rate my recipe cleanups on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is only a handful of dishes, and 5 is everything including the kitchen sink.
This recipe has a cleanup rating of a 2. There’s a pot, a knife, a thermometer (or plate), a zester, and a spatula. That’s it! I recommend soaking the leftover jam residue in the pot with warm water for 10-15 minutes to help loosen it. Everything else can be washed immediately with little scrubbing.
Blueberry Jam Recipe (Small Batch)
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If you make this blueberry jam and love it, please don’t forget to leave a review to share how it turned out with others.
Small Batch Blueberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 cups (340 g) blueberries* from two 6-oz containers or one dry pint
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon optional
- 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice from about 1 lemon
Instructions
- Add blueberries to a medium pot** with sugar, lemon zest (if using), and lemon juice.2 cups (340 g) blueberries*, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice, Zest of 1 lemon
- Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the blueberries burst and release their juices, about 10 minutes from fresh and 15 minutes from frozen.
- Continue to cook as the juices darken in color, stirring occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot. The color will deepen from red to purple, and the syrup will start to thicken.
- Cook the jam until it reaches 220°F/105°C. (If you don't have a thermometer, test the consistency by placing a few drops of the liquid jam on a cool plate. Allow the jam to cool for 15-20 seconds, then tilt the plate vertically. If the jam starts to run, it's not ready; cook for another minute before re-testing. If the jam stays largely in place, remove from heat.)For smoother jam (optional): Use an immersion blender to chop up the blueberries in the jam. Ensure the blender head stays fully submerged, tilting the pan if needed, and blend for just a few seconds at a time until no large pieces of cherry remain.
- Pour into jars, seal, and let cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator. The blueberry jam will thicken as it cools; for best results, allow the jam to set overnight.
Video
Notes
Recommended Supplies
Nutrition
I’d love to see how your blueberry jam turns out: Take a photo and tag me on Instagram @floralapronblog to share with me, or use the hashtag #floralapronbakes.