Easy Blueberry Jam Recipe
Opening, gifting or serving your own jam brings good old-fashioned pleasure to friends and family. It also reminds you that the hour you invested when the fruit was abundant has repaid you with a little jar of joy in the depths of winter, when much of the soft fruit in the shops has travelled from far-flung places.
A wise and wonderful gardening friend once advised me to invest in soft fruit canes and bushes. She said they are cost-effective to grow and produce fruit that is often expensive to buy in the shops. It was very good advice.
This year I decided to make two small jars of blueberry jam with the last of the harvest from our small blueberry bush. In winter we can sit and watch the happiness wash over my husband’s and son’s faces as they enjoy homemade jam on toast. My daughter and I are only really jam fans if it’s strawberry jam served with scones.
If you’ve never made jam before, don’t be put off thinking you need special equipment. You don’t. A heavy-based saucepan (I use the base of my pressure cooker), a wooden spoon, a couple of plates in the freezer for testing the setting point, and some clean jars are all you need. Look in your fridge—there’s always a jar with just a teaspoonful of something left in it waiting to be finished… or is that only in my house? About 10 minutes before the jam is ready, pop the clean jars into a 100°C oven to sterilise them. Then give the pan your full attention for half an hour. I call that productive mindfulness.
I have included two methods for this recipe: one for seasoned jam makers who know the process, and one for novice jam makers who may appreciate a little more guidance along the way.
- 400g blueberries, washed and any stalks removed
- 250g granulated sugar with added pectin
- 10cm piece of fresh vanilla pod, split lengthways
- Juice of ½ large lemon
- Makes approximately 1 x 250ml jar or a few smaller jars.
- Method
- Place three side plates in the freezer.
- Add the blueberries to a heavy-based saucepan and cook over a medium heat until softened and releasing their juices.
- Add the sugar in three batches, stirring until dissolved. Add the vanilla pod and lemon juice.
- Bring to a steady boil and cook for 20–30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the jam reaches setting point. Test on a chilled plate — if it wrinkles when pushed, it is ready. Alternatively, use a sugar thermometer and cook to 105°C.
- Sterilise the jars and lids while the jam cooks. Warm the jars in a 100°C oven and place the lids in freshly boiled water until needed.
- Remove the vanilla pod, then carefully pour the hot jam into the warm sterilised jars. Seal immediately, label when cool and store in a cool, dark place.
- 400g blueberries, washed and any stalks removed
- 250g granulated sugar with added pectin
- 10cm piece of fresh vanilla pod, split lengthways
- Juice of ½ large lemon
- Makes approximately 1 x 250ml jar or a few smaller jars.
- Put three side plates in the freezer.
- Place the blueberries into a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Stir occasionally until they soften and release their juices.
- Add the sugar in three batches, stirring well after each addition until it has dissolved. Add the vanilla pod and lemon juice.
- Bring the mixture to a steady boil and cook for 20–30 minutes, stirring regularly to prevent it catching on the bottom of the pan.
- To test if the jam has reached its setting point, spoon a little onto one of the chilled plates. Leave it for a minute or pop it back into the freezer for a few minutes, then gently push the jam back with your finger. If the surface wrinkles, it is ready. If not, boil for another couple of minutes before testing again. If you have a sugar thermometer, cook the jam until it reaches 105°C.
- About 10 minutes before the jam is ready, pop the clean jars into a 100°C oven to sterilise them. Place the lids in a bowl of freshly boiled water and leave them there until you are ready to seal the jars. Carefully lift them out with clean tongs or a fork, give them a gentle shake to remove any excess water, and place them straight onto the filled jars. Don't worry about any tiny droplets of water remaining—the heat from the jam will dry them. There is no need to use a tea towel, as this can introduce bacteria and undo the care you have taken sterilising everything.
- I also pour boiling water over a soup ladle and a glass measuring jug to sterilise them. Ladling the jam into the measuring jug first makes it much easier to pour neatly into smaller jars, with far fewer drips.
- Carefully remove the vanilla pod with a fork or tweezers, then spoon the hot jam into the sterilised glass measuring jug and pour or ladle the jam into the warm, sterilised jars. Cut a circle of wax or greaseproof paper to cover the top of the jam. Seal immediately and leave to cool completely before storing. Label the jars when they have cooled.
- Once opened, store the jam in the fridge and enjoy within 4–6 weeks. Always use a clean spoon when serving.
- For unopened jars, if they have been properly sterilised, sealed and stored in a cool, dark place, homemade jam will keep for up to a year.
- Enjoy on hot buttered toast, fresh bread or warm scones.
Enjoy on hot buttered toast, fresh bread or warm scones.
Enjoy making your own jam.
