“Tastes Like Summer” Blueberry & Lemon Jam Recipe

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This recipe for blueberry lemon jam is a great way to save up a hint of summer’s sun-kissed flavor to enjoy during the cold winter months. Pancakes, toast, muffins, and vanilla ice cream are perfect partners in crime for this jam.

🥘 Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups blueberries (organic is best)
• 1/3 cup bottled lemon juice (see note)
• 1- 1.75 oz box of powdered pectin
• 2 tsp grated lemon peel (organic is best)
• 6 1/2 cups sugar

🥣 Equipment:

• 8 half-pint jars with lids and bands
• water bath canner
• strainer or colander
• pie plate
• flat bottomed cup or potato masher
• large pot with lid
• wax paper
• zester or box grater
• long handled wooden spoon
• hot pads
• towel
• jar lifter
• canning funnel
• cloth for wiping lids

🧭 Set Up:

Properly setting up your space before beginning to cook can make a night and day difference. To make things easier for this recipe do the following:

• I know this goes without saying, but start with a clean work surface.
• Pull out all of your equipment.
• Start with clean jars and bands, as well as new lids (unless you use reusable Tattler lids). Inspect them for nicks or cracks. Do not use any jars that have visible blemishes.
• Pull out all of your ingredients to make sure you have everything needed and in correct amounts. Nothing is more disappointing than getting partially through a canning recipe only to realize you don’t have an ingredient.
• Pour a clean sink full of hot water. Let your jars hang out in the hot water until you are filling them with the hot jam. Keeping the jars warm helps prevent drastic temperature fluctuations that can cause jars to crack and break. This step is important so don’t skip it. Ask me how I know this 😒
• Place a clean towel on the counter where you will be filling the jars.

How to Make Blueberry Lemon Jam:

Wash the blueberries and give the lemon a good scrub. Organic lemon is best for this recipe since you will be using it for its zest.

Then, in a water bath canner, bring enough water to cover the jars by more than 1 inch to a simmer. Place the canning rack over the canner.

Crush the blueberries, a little at a time, in the pie plate. There are 2 ways to do this. You can either use a flat bottomed cup or you can use a potato masher. After all the berries are crushed, transfer them to a large stock pot with a lid.

Use a hand zester or box grater to zest the outside of the lemon over a piece of wax paper. The goal is to just get the outside of the peel. You don’t want to be grating into the white pith. When you have enough zested for 2 teaspoons add them to the stock pot with the blueberries.

Then, measure out 1/3 cup of bottled lemon juice. Add it to the blueberries and zest in the pot.

Why bottled, you might ask, when there is a perfectly good lemon. It boils down to a canning safety issue. The USDA recommends using bottled lemon juice to ensure the correct acidity levels for canning. Keep it safe, my friends.

Bring the berry and lemon mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

⚠️ A WORD OF CAUTION ⚠️ Be very careful from this point on as the jam will be extremely hot and gooey. Think molten lava. Mine has a tendency to splatter outside the pot onto my arms and hands while stirring down a hard boil. A long sleeve shirt, a sleeved hot pad, and a long handled wooden spoon or spatula are all great ideas from this point until the boiling is done. Ok, now that I’m done with my PSA, let’s get back to it.

When the berries are at a boil add the sugar, all at once. Stir to dissolve and then bring to a rolling boil.

When the jam mixture is at a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stir in the pectin. Keep at a rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring the entire time. After that, remove the pot from the heat and skim off any foam.

Remove a jar from the hot water in the sink using the jar lifter and carefully dump out the hot water.

Place the jars onto the clean towel you placed on the counter during set up. Place a canning funnel into the mouth of the jar.

Carefully ladle the jam into the hot jar. Leave 1/4″ headspace.

Remove any bubbles. Wipe the rim clean with a damp cloth.

Place the lid on the jar and tighten the band to finger tip tight.

Using the jar lifter, place the jar onto the canning rack. Repeat the process with all of the jars.

Lower the canning rack into the simmering water. Increase the heat to medium-high, cover with a lid, and bring to a rolling boil.

When the water has reached a rolling boil process the jars for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes of processing time, turn off the burner and remove the lid. Let jars sit in the pot for 5 minutes.

Place your towel at the back of the counter. Carefully remove the jars from the canner with the jar lifter and place on the towel to cool for 12 hours.

After 12 hours, remove the bands and check the seals. Wipe down jars if needed (hard water can leave a film on your jars). Label and date your beautiful jars of “Tastes Like Summer” Blueberry & Lemon Jam.

What is Blueberry Lemon Jam Best With?

“Tastes Like Summer” Blueberry & Lemon Jam pairs fantastic with

• Multigrain Sourdough Sandwich Loaf from the sisters over at Life Full and Frugal
• Bannocks made with Einkorn from Kristin at Happy Homeschool Adventures (bannocks are a type of flatbread)
• Gluten Free Sourdough Blueberry Muffins from Anja at Our Gabled Home
• Tea Sandwiches made with cream cheese

Interested in other uses for lemon? Check out this post on easy ways to use leftover orange, lemon, and lime.

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