Truth be told, I never made homemade jam before. But, the blueberries in the markets look so amazing right now. I mean, blueberries and July go hand-in-hand. I had bought mounds of them last time I went shopping and I needed to do something with them. Jam, I thought! That's how this Easy Blueberry Lemon Jam was born.
As I searched for recipes, I was aghast at the actual amounts of sugar required in most of them. 5 cups, 7 cups, even 10 cups of sugar per recipe! I was not ok with this, even for jam.
Once I dove a little deeper, I realized that many recipes rely on sugar to react with fruit acids and pectin which ultimately creates that gel-like consistency. I started to get a little worried that maybe jam-making was not for me. After all, food science lab was definitely not my forte in college.
I decided to give it a go anyway. But, without giant buckets of sugar, thermometers, pectins, complicated acid ratios or anything like that. Just blueberries, lemons and a touch (2 tablespoons to be exact) of maple syrup! I thought...let's see what happens.
After about 20 minutes of simmering, I wasn't getting anywhere in terms of the desired jam-like consistency.
Yikes! Flashback to food science lab again!
So I thought...maybe it just needs more time.
And time (and patience) is what it took.
55 minutes later the magic happened.
I did the infamous cold spoon test and it worked.
*(If you're not familiar with this trick, you place a metal spoon in the freezer until it's very cold and once you think the jam might be done you test it by dipping the spoon into the mixture. If you can run your finger through the middle of the spoon without the mixture running back together again, congrats...you've created jam!)
I was pleasantly surprised. I achieved the desired result, without the use of all that sugar. And the blueberry-lemon combo was fantastic!
It's perfect for drizzling over:
- Pancakes
- Ice Cream
- Yogurt
Or for adding to:
- Overnight Oats
- PB&J sandwiches
- Baked Brie
- Crackers
- Savory grilled cheese sandwiches (oh my!)
- Muffins or Scones
If you're looking for an uncomplicated, naturally sweet jam, that is still just as tasty and delicious, this recipe is for you!
Easy Blueberry Lemon Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups blueberries washed and any stems picked off
- zest and juice from one small lemon
- 2 tablespoon of maple syrup
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
- On medium high heat, begin to mash (I used a potato masher) until most but not all of the blueberries are broken up.
- Bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for about 50-55 minutes, stirring every so often to prevent burning.
- Test with cold spoon (see above)*
- Let cool and transfer to a jar with lid.
- Refrigerate.
Just wondering if I get this into a sealed sterile jar it would be able to sit on the shelf?
Hi Kelsey, if you are using proper sterilzation technique it should be ok. However, I'm not sure how long it will last with the amount of sugar/acid I use in this recipe. Sorry I can't be of more help on this one. Donna
I’m assuming from the recipe I’m not supposed to use any water? Is the small amount of lemon juice and maple syrup sufficient amounts of liquid for 50 minutes of simmering.
Just checking because with my luck, I can see myself scorching this quickly. I love the concept of no sugar and can’t wait to try! 🙂
Hi Heidi, I did not use any water for this recipe. Just make sure to turn down the heat after you first bring it to a boil, as this is a slow process. Some blueberries have more water than others and I bought these in the middle of summer when they were plump and ripe. I would just stay close by and keep testing for thickness. Once you get the desired thickness and flavor concentration you can turn off the heat. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Could you use frozen blueberries for this recipe?
Hi Amber,
Hmm, I have not tried this recipe with frozen. I would imagine it would add more moisture so I am guessing cooking times may be altered. Let me know if you try it.
Donna
Can I can this? How long is the processing time?