Homemade Blueberry Jam with Honey

Preserve the fresh taste of summer all year long with this easy and delicious recipe.  Learn how to can homemade blueberry jam with honey to store on your pantry shelf with this step-by-step guide.

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I accidently left a box of frozen blueberries out overnight, only to find myself looking at 5 pounds of thawed blueberries the next day wondering what to do with them.

I could make a blueberry cobbler, or blueberry muffins, but what sounded really good was trying to make some blueberry jam.  

I’m not much of a jam fan; I usually prefer a beautifully clear jelly, but I thought I would give it a try.  What I discovered was a perfectly sweetened jam, made with only blueberries, honey, lemon juice, and pectin.  One that will be repeated year after year and always remain a staple on my pantry shelves.

Homemade Blueberry Jam with Honey Recipe

Most of the blueberry jam recipes that I came across added more cups of sugar to the jam than the blueberries! I don’t know about you, but I don’t like it when sugar overpowers the fruit. The whole point of jams and jellies is to taste the full flavor of the fruit.

I also knew I wanted to use a natural sweetener, like honey as well.

After searching through many of my other books, I grabbed my trusty jam and jelly book and got to work.

Pomona’s Pectin is a wonderful low sugar natural pectin I began using a couple of years ago and it has become a staple on my shelf that I purchase in bulk now. By using this type of pectin, you can be in control of what type of sweetener you use and how much sweetener you use; both of which are very important to me.

4 Things I Love About Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam

This really is the perfect jam – for your morning sourdough toast or buttermilk biscuits.

1. Stores on the Shelf – This jam will stay fresh on your pantry shelf for up to a year.
2. Water Bath Canned – Homemade blueberry jam is water bath canned, so it’s a quick and easy process that is achievable with any skill level.
3. Versatile Recipe – You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. Or go wild and try it with blackberries – yum!
4. Simple Ingredients – You only need 4 ingredients to make this jam.

The Difference Between Water Bath Canning and Pressure Canning

While these are both methods for canning and preserving food, they are indeed very different methods.

Water Bath Canning

• Used for canning foods with a high PH level, think of jams, jellies, and things made with vinegar.
• Simple method that generally requires a short amount of processing time.

Pressure Canning

• For foods with a low PH level.  Meats, vegetables, and bone broths.
• Usually requires a longer amount of time to process.

To learn more about canning check out this printable resource for Water Bath Canning and Pressure Canning. 

For a full in-depth course about canning, I HIGHLY recommend The Abundant Pantry: Canning.  I purchased this a few years ago, when I thought I knew how to properly can foods.  I knew a lot already, but I will tell you this course taught me the proper way (and taught me that I was doing some of the things wrong!).  I am so happy that I purchased it and refer back to the course and workbook often, for both a refresher and for the yummy recipes that are included.

Ingredients

Let’s quickly cover everything that you will need to make this delicious blueberry jam. You can find the full ingredients list with measurements in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

• Blueberries – The great thing about canning blueberry jam is that you can use fresh or frozen blueberries.

• Honey – I like to purchase my honey in bulk once a year now, but I started out buying it by the gallon before that.

• Lemon Juice – Make sure to grab a bottle of lemon juice versus using a fresh lemon. The strength needed for safely canning is correct in bottled lemon juice and can vary in fresh lemons.

• Pomona’s Pectin – This is a low sweetener natural pectin that I purchase in bulk, because it never goes bad. You can also purchase Pomona’s Pectin in smaller boxes if you’d like to give it a try. I have never had a batch of jelly fail with this type of pectin.

Supplies Needed to Water Bath Can Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam

You will need a couple of supplies to water bath can. The great thing is once you have them, all you have to do is grab them from the cupboard anytime you want to make jellies, jams, or pickles.

• Water Bath Canner – There are a couple of styles of water bath canners.
  • My first canner was an enamel canner that I purchased from a secondhand store. It had years of wear and tear on it, but it did the trick for a long time. It eventually got a small hole in the bottom and became my new fireplace ash pail.
  • The canner I purchased after that one was a stainless steel water bath canner with a glass lid. I chose this option because it doubles as a gigantic pot that I can use to make large batches of soup, or easily boil a whole chicken. The lid fits perfectly on my big cast iron skillet too.
• Canning Funnel – My canning funnel is a staple in my kitchen. I grab it multiple times a day. I use it not only for canning, but for filling jars and bags with freeze dried food, for getting raw milk from a gallon jar to a smaller more pourable jar for my family, and for my homemade bone broth to cool in jars in my fridge so I can remove the fat layer before pressure canning. I highly recommend getting yourself a metal funnel versus a plastic one, as it can withstand higher heat, and is a must have for when I render lard and tallow.
• Jar Lifter – You will need an affordable jar lifter to remove the hot jars from the water bath canner to carefully place them onto your countertop. Trust me, you do not want to try to grab these with a towel.
• Ladle – Make sure to use a metal ladle. Jam gets very hot, and you don’t want to take the chance of a plastic one melting!
• Immersion Blender – An immersion blender helps to break the berries into smaller pieces; just don’t go too far. You still want some blueberry pieces.
• Bubble Freer Tool – This is a great dual-purpose tool. You can use it to free the bubbles in the jars and measure the headspace of the jars.
• Canning Jars – I like to use jelly sized canning jars for most of my jams and jellies.
• Canning Lids and Bands – My favorite canning lids and bands are made in the USA. This is something that is very important to me and the quality of the seal backs this up. I have never had a seal fail with this product.
• Kitchen Timer – I always like to have a separate loud kitchen timer versus using my phone. If someone calls, I don’t want to take a chance that something will happen with the timer.
• Permanent Marker – I have permanent markers in multiple places throughout my house.  Don’t forget to label everything!

Instructions to Make Blueberry Jam with Honey

Well, it’s time to start making delicious blueberry jam! Remember that you can find all of the ingredients and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.

Prepare Your Jars, Lids, and the Water Bath Canner:

1. Wash the jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water and rinse well.  Do not reuse canning lids for canning. The only time I will reuse a lid is for spices or freeze dried foods. Always use NEW lids when canning.
2. Place the canner in the sink and fill the jars and canner with water.
3. I always add a splash of vinegar at this point.  My water is very hard and it leaves a white film on my jars.  This doesn’t hurt the jars, or the canning process.
4. Turn the stove on to gradually heat the water in the canner so it begins steaming.
5. If you will be hot water bath canning something for less than 10 minutes, make sure to sterilize your jars. 
6. Measure all of your ingredients and have it ready to add to the pot when needed.  Make sure your pectin is fully mixed into your honey before you begin cooking the berries.

Cooking the Blueberries:

1. Place the fresh or frozen blueberries and place in a large pot.
2. Add a little water to the bottom of the heavy bottomed pot to begin cooking down the blueberries to soften them.
3. Stir often so they don’t burn on the bottom of the pot.  Use an immersion blender to chop the blueberries into smaller pieces. Do not chop it smooth. You want some pieces to make a good jam.

Adding Additional Ingredients:

1. Add lemon juice and calcium water to the blueberries and stir well.
2. Add the honey and the pectin to the blueberries and mix well.
3. Continue stirring until it comes to a boil.  Boil for 2 minutes and remove from the heat.

Fill Up the Jars:

1. Fill each jar to 1/4″ headspace.
2. Remove the bubbles by sticking the bubble freer tool inside of the jar multiple times.
3. Flip the tool over and use the measurement side to make sure that you have the correct headspace in the jar.
4. Wipe the rim of the jar with a soft cloth dipped in vinegar.  The vinegar will help to cut through the sticky jam to make sure your lid has a good seal.
5. Run your finger on the rim of the jar and feel for any knicks or cracks on the jar. Do not can with these jars. You will not get a good enough seal to make it shelf stable.
6. Place the lid on the jar.
7. Add a band and finger tighten it.  Do NOT tighten the lids too tightly – only three fingers tight!
8. Place the jars into the warm water in the canner.

Adding Jars and Canning:

1. Make sure there is enough water in the canner to cover the jars by 1-2 inches.  If there is not add hot water to the hot canner and don’t pour it directly on the jars.
2. Place the jars onto the rack. Carefully lower the rack into the water.
3. Place the lid on the canner.
4. Bring the canner to a full rolling boil with the lid on.
5. Continue the full rolling boil for 10 minutes. See the chart to adjust the time based on your altitude. I am over 2,000 feet above sea level and can mine for 15 minutes.

After the Time is Done:

1. When your time is up, turn off the heat and let the canner sit for 5 minutes with the lid on.
2. Remove the lid and wait another 5 minutes.
3. If you have a canning basket, carefully lift the basket to the top of the canner and hook it on the side.  After it is secure, you can begin removing the jars.  
4. If you are using an insert from a pressure canner, you can just start pulling the jars out of the water.

Taking the Jars Out of the Water:

1. Use a jar lifter to remove the jars from the water.
2. Make sure you don’t tip the jars as you are removing them from the water.
3. Place the jars on a towel.  Do not set them directly on the counter.  The change in temperature could cause the jars to crack, not to mention the high heat could damage your countertop as well.

Successful Water Bath Canning:

1. Leave the jars on the counter undisturbed for at least 12-24 hours. Do not be tempted to touch the lids and see if they have sealed. This can give you a false seal and your jam could spoil.
   • Homesteading Tip – You will be able to hear the glorious sound of the ‘POP’ as your lids are sealing. If you look closely, you can also see which have actually sealed and which have not without touching them. If I notice the jars have cooled and a seal has failed, I will place that jar in the fridge to be used first.
2. The next morning, remove the bands and test each of the lids.  I do this by poking the top to see if the center moves, AND by picking each jar up by the lid to make sure it is secure.

Label and Store:

1. Make sure you LABEL EACH JAR with a permanent marker!  Write the contents of the jar as well as the date you canned it. I cannot tell you how many times I was going to remember what was in that jar – take my word – you WON’T remember! Ha!
   • Homesteading Tip – You want to store all canned food with the band removed. If your jar does have a false seal, by leaving the band in place, it could trick you into thinking that it is actually sealed. If you have a loose lid on a jar that you cannot pick up by the lid only, you will definitely know your seal is bad.
2. Store the jars in a cool dark location for up to a year.

Water Bath Canning Altitude Adjustments

Altitude in Feet	Increase Processing Time
1,001-3,000 feet	5 minutes
3,001-6,000 feet	10 minutes
6,001-8,000 feet	15 minutes
8,001-10,000 feet	20 minutes

Homemade Blueberry Jam with Honey FAQs

I get a lot of questions about the recipe for canning blueberry jam with honey. Here are a few common questions and their answers to help you out!

More Homemade Recipes to Try Next

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Easy Homemade Baking Powder

Blueberry jam is one of those pantry staples that will always have a special place on my shelves. I hope that you give it a try. Leave me a comment below to let me know your thoughts.

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