I made blueberry maple jam using this recipe a few years ago and when I ended up buying 5 lbs of early blueberries this week, I knew it was time to make it again. I use Bernardin’s No Sugar Needed Pectic and the jam comes out perfectly. For this batch of jam, I doubled the below recipe and it made 10 small jars.
The jam is not overly sweet, and if you prefer a sweeter jam just add a bit more of the maple syrup or a cup of granulated sugar.
For a fruit butter version, I pulped the blueberries (you’ll want 4 cups of puree) with the zest of a lemon until smooth in a food processor, and added a cup of granulated sugar.
Blueberry Maple Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups gently crushed blueberries
- 1 cup sugar free blueberry juice
- 1 pouch of Bernardin No Sugar Needed Pectin powder
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 5-6 250ml jars
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Wash jars and place them in your canner pot, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use.
- Place lids in water in a small sauce pan and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.
- Place the blueberries in a large saucepot and gently crush. Add the cup of juice and the pectin powder. Whisk to blend. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
- Add the maple syrup and lemon juice and bring to a boil, letting it boil for 3 minutes. Stirring gently with a wooden spoon.
- Remove from heat and ladle into jars (I used a wide mouth funnel), filling to 1/4" from the top. Wipe the rims clean with a paper towel, and screw on lids.
- Put jars in boiling water in canning pot (to cover). Boil 10 minutes.
- Remove from water. Let jars cool.
Notes
I made another batch of blueberry jam, with the intention of making blueberry fruit butter. But all the recipes I found, indicated that fruit butters were to be stored in the freezer. I don’t have ANY room in my freezer for a bunch of jars. So I made a mashup of jelly and fruit butter, adding pectin to preserve it, but pureeing the mixture like a butter.
Blueberry Butter Jelly
Ingredients
- 11 cups puree of blueberries
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground nutmeg
- zest of 2 lemons
- 2 packets Bernadin No Sugar Needed Pectin
- 3 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Bring all ingredients to a roiling boil. Make sure to whisk constantly so the bottom doesn't burn and it doesn't overflow!
- Let boil for 3 minutes then proceed with canning.