Homemade Blueberry Jam

Homemade Blueberry Jam

 

Directions

1. Place the fruit in a large stockpot. Add the honey and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
Reduce and simmer for 15 minutes. If you have any large chunks remaining, carefully smash them down with a potato masher.

2. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for another 15-45 minutes (this will vary depending on the natural sugars in the fruit. When the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, turn off the heat.

3. Fill freezer-safe jars, leaving ½ inch room at the top for expansion. Your jam will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months and in your refrigerator for a month or more.

Health Benefits

Fruit is sweet! You don’t need to apply the sugar crutch to your jam—there are many fruits that contain enough natural fructose and pectin to set right up for you without the addition of white sugar. This recipe does add honey to help the process along, but it is coming a long way from typical canning recipes that can add pints of sugar to our already sweet berries. Other fruits that work great without the addition of refined sugar are apple, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and cherry. The addition of apple to this recipe provides real, natural pectin. Without refined sugar, your jam may not achieve a ‘hard’ set, but that’s okay! It will still gel, and be lovely and spreadable.