Blueberry Jam
A small batch of blueberry jam cooked with sugar and lemon until it wrinkles on a cold saucer, for the fridge.
Photograph credit: Blueberries were on sale, so I made blueberry jam. by Kim Siever · Public Domain Mark 1.0 · Flickr
How to Cook Blueberry Jam
Tap a step to highlight it, or turn on Cook Mode for large type and step-by-step focus.
-
Put a saucer in the freezer. Cook the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, crushing about half the berries.
-
Boil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until the jam has thickened.
-
Test a spoonful on the cold saucer: it is ready when the surface wrinkles. Cook for 3 minutes more if not.
-
Pour into clean jars and cool. Keep in the fridge.
Something wrong or unclear in this recipe? Report a problem with this recipe.
Things to Watch For
- Chill a saucer for the setting test.
- Stir often.
- If your hob runs hot, lower the heat as the jam thickens.
- Keep it in the fridge.
The Short Version
The first sign it is ready is the surface: it wrinkles when you push it with a finger on a cold saucer. That is the setting test, and it is more reliable than a timer.
Put a saucer in the freezer before you start. Cook the blueberries with the sugar and lemon juice over medium heat, crushing about half of them against the side of the pan. The sugar dissolves into the juice and the mixture bubbles. Stir often, since jam burns at the bottom. A heavy-based pan is best.
After about 20 minutes, spoon a little onto the cold saucer, leave for 1 minute and push it with a finger. If the surface wrinkles, it is ready. If it runs back, cook for 3 minutes and test again. Blueberries are low in pectin, so the lemon juice does some of the work.
Pour into clean jars and cool. This is a fridge jam, not a canned one, and should be kept cold and eaten within 3 weeks. If your hob runs hot, turn the heat down once the jam starts to thicken.
On the Table Alongside
Toast · Scones · Pancakes · Natural yoghurt
Leftovers
Keeps in the fridge for 3 weeks. This is a fridge jam, not a canning recipe.
Blueberry Jam Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
Cooked this? Keep a note for next time
Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
You Might Also Like
More American cooking and baking ideas from Weekly Delight.
Buttercream Frosting
Butter beaten pale and fluffy with icing sugar, vanilla and a splash of cream into a smooth, pipeable frosting…
Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Tender muffins with lemon zest and juice and whole blueberries, baked until domed and golden.
Royal Icing
The hard white icing for decorated biscuits, gingerbread houses and celebration cakes: icing sugar beaten with egg…
Sourdough Discard Crackers
Thin, crisp crackers made from sourdough discard, olive oil and rosemary, rolled out and baked until golden.
Vegan Cornbread
A golden skillet-style cornbread made with cornmeal, soy milk and oil, with no eggs or dairy, baked for 25 minutes.
Apricot Jam
Halved apricots cooked with sugar and lemon juice for 30 minutes into a golden, tangy jam. Twenty-four servings of a…