Blueberry Jam Recipe: How to Make Blueberry Jam

Blueberry jam is a sweet and spreadable condiment that uses fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Since homemade blueberry jam requires only a few ingredients, it can be an easy recipe for first-time jam makers.

Jellies and jam recipes require fruit pectin, a thickening agent. Blueberries are high in natural pectin (similar to blackberries and apples), so blueberry jam recipes require less sugar to set the jam. Also, blueberries contain carbohydrates, vitamin C, calcium, and potassium.

Jam-making is a fairly straightforward process that requires just a few ingredients. Here are four tips to ensure your homemade jam recipe goes as smoothly as possible:

1. 1. Choose your preservation process. It’s important to select a preservation method that will keep your jam fresh for as long as you intend to use it. Refrigerator jams go in the refrigerator immediately and have a short shelf life. On the other hand, canned jams—which process in a boiling water bath—can stay in a dry place cooler than room temperature for up to a couple of years.
2. 2. Defrost frozen blueberries ahead of time. Frozen berries contain a lot of excess liquid that will add cooking time to the recipe’s total time. If you plan to use frozen blueberries, thaw them in advance and drain away any extra liquid.
3. 3. Do the plate test to check doneness. Before starting the jam, put a small plate in the freezer. Toward the end of the cooking process, take the plate out of the freezer and dollop a small amount of jam on the plate. If the jam jells and coagulates after a few minutes—and stays that way—it’s adequately set. However, if the jam is still loose, continue to cook the jam in five-minute increments and repeat the plate test.
4. 4. Reserve some sugar. Blueberries vary in sweetness, so reserve a small amount of sugar in the recipe to adjust the jam’s flavor near the end of the cooking process. If the jam is sweet enough without the full amount of sugar, refrain from adding the reserved sugar. But if it could use additional sweetness, add it.

Blueberry jam is a versatile ingredient you can mix with other ingredients or serve atop desserts and other dishes. Here are four ways to use blueberry jam:

1. 1. Atop ice cream: For a sweet treat, swirl blueberry jam into store-bought or homemade ice cream. Blueberry jam pairs well with vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate ice cream, or cheesecake-flavored ice cream.
2. 2. In pancake batter: Instead of adding blueberries to pancake batter or topping your pancakes with maple syrup, try serving your pancakes with blueberry jam.
3. 3. On sandwiches: Grape jelly is a common pairing for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but try swapping in blueberry jam for a different sweet flavor.
4. 4. Spread over scones: Spread plain or flavored scones with blueberry jam and clotted cream. You can even try mixing the jam with lemon curd, another classic topping for scones.