Simple Blueberry Jam - no pectin, just 3 ingredients!
User Reviews
4.9
Simple Blueberry Jam - no pectin, just 3 ingredients!
Description
Simple Blueberry Jam combines firm blueberries with sugar and lemon juice, slowly cooked and mashed to release natural pectin and sweetness. The process avoids commercial pectin, relying on careful boiling and testing with a frozen saucer to ensure the jam achieves proper gel consistency. The gradual heating dissolves sugar evenly while maintaining some berry texture.
The result is a thick, spreadable jam with a balance of sweetness and slight tartness from lemon juice. Mashing some berries while leaving others whole contributes to a pleasing mouthfeel. Once jarred in sterilized containers, the jam can be stored unopened in cool, dark places, preserving color and flavor up to a year.
This jam is versatile, perfect for spreading on toast, adding to yogurt, or using as a topping for desserts. The detailed sterilization ensures safe storage, and once opened, refrigeration is recommended to maintain freshness for several months.
To check readiness, a cold saucer placed in the freezer beforehand is used to test gel formation. Additional boiling can be done if the jam has not set. This process aligns with traditional jam-making techniques without additives.
Ingredients
- 600 g blueberries stalks and mushy ones removed, firm
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Wash the blueberries in a colander.
- Put the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice into a preserving pan.
- Place the pan over a gentle heat to slowly dissolve the sugar crystals, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time.
- As the sugar starts to melt and the fruit warms up, take a potato masher to mash the blueberries, leaving some whole if desired.
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved turn up the heat and bring the pan to a rolling boil and time for 15 minutes, stirring all the while (to prevent the sugar burning on the base).
- Take the pan off the heat and test a few drops of the jam on a frozen saucer and place in the fridge for a minute. If when you push your finger through it the jam forms a crinkle and is gel like then it’s ready. Otherwise boil for another couple of minutes and repeat process until ready.
- Pot up the jam in a sterilised hot jar using a small ladle or jam funnel.
- Screw on lid immediately.
- See notes for storage instructions.
Notes
- Chill two saucers in the freezer early to test jam's setting point during cooking.
- Sterilize jars by washing, boiling water rinse, and oven drying at 140°C for 20 minutes before filling.
- Use boiled lids and let them drain before sealing to ensure jam safety.
- Store unopened jars in a cool, dry, dark place up to 12 months; refrigerate after opening and use within a few months.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
You'll Also Love
