Last summer my mom and her friend did a whole day of canning jams and jellies and she brought me the best blueberry jam! Ever since I’ve been wanting to try making jam for myself, but I don’t have a pressure cooker or special canning equipment. Then I came back across this recipe I had torn out of a magazine last summer and it required no special equipment. I went out and bought some blueberries to make it right away. This couldn’t have been easier and it also it doesn’t require any fruit pectin or thickening agent! And I love that it just takes around 20 minutes on the stovetop and you have 3 small jars of jam! You do have to keep it in the fridge or freezer, but it lasts for a month in the fridge and a year in the freezer! After you make it you will feel so accomplished and no one has to know how easy it was! Your friends will think you’ve slaved away all day with the pressure cooker.
Easy Blueberry Jam
Source: Real Simple Magazine, July 2011
Makes Approximately 3 Cups
Ingredients:
5 cups blueberries (approx. 2 1/2 pints)
1/2 cup sugar
Juice from 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Directions:
In a medium saucepan add the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice & salt. Stir to combine and gently smash the blueberries with the back of a large spoon until they begin to release their juices. Some berries will still be somewhat whole and that is fine.
Heat over medium high heat for approximately 18 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mixture will thicken and darken in color. Remove from heat and pour jam into glass jars. While still hot, place lids on jars to seal them.
Store jam in refrigerator for 1 month or place in freezer for up to 1 year.
Welcome! I'm Stephanie, a thirty something girl loving life with my husband Adam and our two little miracles living in gorgeous Southeast Tennessee. I'm passionate about Jesus, traveling, sports (Go Titans!), and of course food! Read more about me 
Love this! I make tons of strawberry freezer jam every June, but this sounds even easier!
Thanks Ally! Strawberry freezer jam sounds wonderful!
I’m pretty much in love with this because I HATE canning. Well I’ve never tried it so I might not be able to technically hate it, but yet I still do 🙂
Thanks! Haha! I’ve never tried canning and it definitely intimidates me too! 🙂
This is such a great recipe!!
Thanks Dorothy!
Do they need to cool completely before putting in refrigerator or freezer? Sounds great! Can’t wait to try this recipe!!
I put them directly into the fridge/freezer and didn’t cool them first. Hope you enjoy!
Oooh, yeah, homemade-EASY blueberry jam! Love this and can’t wait to try this!
Thanks so much Tanya!
gorgeous! the only jam i ever make is strawberry freezer jam. i need to branch out!
Thank you! I bet the strawberry jam is delicious!
This sounds delicious and easy!
Thanks Erin!
What thickens the jam? What if the jam is thin?
It just thickens as it cooks and reduces. If it is too thin, continue cooking it until it cooks down further and thickens. It does also continue to thicken as it cools. Also, you could always stir together 1 tsp. of water with 1 tsp. of cornstarch and add it to thicken or add a couple tsp. of flour. Hope you enjoy it!
I was recently given a few quart bags of frozen blueberries. Can I use this recipe to make jam with them? I fear they will be juicy when defrosted. do i drain off the juice, or a portion?
I haven’t ever tried that, but I would think it would work just fine with frozen berries. You may just have to cook the mixture down longer if they are juicier, but I think they will be fine.
Do you think i could add other flavors such as basil or ginger to this jam without wrecking it?
I think you absolutely could! Let me know how it turns out!
I definitely did not use enough basil so i wasn’t really able to taste it unfortunately…maybe more basil next time or some way to extract the juice from it?
Bummer! Maybe use more basil or a different herb like mint that’s a little stronger in flavor? Glad you tried it though!
I dont own any glass Jars and was wOndering if i could just use plastic containeRs instead?
You could definitely try it, they just wouldn’t be sealed for storing for a long time, you would need store them in the refrigerator and they wouldn’t keep as long. Let me know how it goes if you try the plastic. Do make sure it’s a heavier plastic that can handle the really hot temp of the jam when it comes out of the pan.
I have an abundance of strawberries and blueberries, anyone try mixed berry refrigerator or freezer jam?
I haven’t tried mixed berries would I think that it would work just fine!