Easy Blackberry Jam Recipe (With or Without) Pectin

Are you ready to make the best homemade blackberry jam (with or without pectin)? I love the taste of wild blackberries in the summer and do anything I can to get out and pick buckets of them. It’s jam-making season! This easy recipe tastes the best when smothered over top of a piece of toast, or English muffin.

This batch of jam makes two jars worth but you can double or triple it to share the love. It is a delicious way to give thoughtful gifts to friends, or slather over a fresh sourdough biscuit to start your day. 

This is one of my favorite homemade jams mainly because I have easy access to fresh blackberries right outside my back door. You could also substitute blackberries for other fresh berries to make raspberry jam, boysenberry jam, huckleberry jam, or even blueberry jam!

I love taking my kids out to our path to pick berries each summer. Inevitably every single summer we almost always jump the gun and go too early. We leave with a small number of berries in a cup. We always go back for more in the weeks following and have more than we need.

This year, we went to a You Pick Farm and got all of the blackberries we could eat and more. I wanted to make quite a few jars of jam to last us through winter and knew our spot behind our home wasn’t going to cut it.

Our “secret” spot behind our house is not so secret anymore. Just today I walked past a man with a bucket full of blackberries. The pickings are small this year as more and more people figure out where the blackberries grow. I love that more people are getting into berry picking around here, it is a fun activity for any age!

Instead of eating jam from the grocery store this year, we are going to enjoy old-fashioned blackberry jam! We put our berry-picking fingers to good use and had a blast at the same time. A fun activity for kids ( and adults let’s be real).

Making a small batch of this easy blackberry jam recipe will make your first-time canning a success because you are not doing a large and uncontrolled amount that will leave you feeling tired and burned out. The less time you spend making this recipe, the more times you will make it I guarantee it.

I am dedicating a larger amount of time to doubling and tripling this fresh blackberry jam so we can enjoy it for many months to come! The recipe is simple because there is no need to add an addition of pectin to the berry mixture. Because blackberries are naturally higher in pectin it is an ingredient I am just fine leaving out. Even though it is not technically “left out” duets the natural pectin inside of a blackberry.

No special equipment is needed to make a delicious jam which is another reason I find it simple to make. Anyone can do it.

TIPS FOR CANNING BLACKBERRY JAM

1. It’s always a good idea to sterilize your jars before making jam to ensure there is no bacteria, fungi, or even yeast anywhere present. The dishwasher is the easiest way to do this, or you could just boil them for 10 minutes. Sterilized jars will also ensure your jam will last longer in the fridge and or pantry.
2. Get a potato masher or similar tool to mash your berries up before cooking them down. You could also puree the berries in a blender if you do not want to hand-mash them.
3. Always leave about 1/4 inch of space at the top of the jar when filling it up with jam.
4. Water bath canning is the easiest way (in my opinion) to get the job done as efficiently as possible. All you need is a large stockpot with a lid. Nothing fancy.
5. Do not freeze this homemade blackberry jam recipe. There are specific no-cook blackberry jam recipes to follow that are different than this particular recipe.
6. Because blackberries have a low acidic level you will want to add in lemon juice.

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE THIS EASY BLACKBERRY JAM RECIPE WITHOUT PECTIN

• 2 half-pint mason jars with lids. You could also use the 4 oz. jars as a good size option.
• A funnel for distributing the jam into the jars
• Tongs for taking jars out of boiling water
• Potato masher or blender to mash up the berries
• Wooden spoon
• Saucepan for simmering the fresh berries
• A water bath canner or large stockpot to cover the jars at least 1-2 inches high. I do not have a canner and the large pot works just fine.

BLACKBERRY JAM WITH ADDED PECTIN

I will say before I get started on the instructions that if you want to make this jam a touch thicker you are more than welcome to add 1 tsp. of pectin in powdered form. Add the pectin with a tablespoon of granulated sugar to the hot jam and cook for approximately one minute. Any longer and it could run the risk of breaking down the powder which will not gel properly.

HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE JAM LAST?

If you properly can your homemade jam it will last in a 70-degree dry pantry for at least one year. If you open up the jar it will last in your fridge for about a month.

HOW TO MAKE THIS BLACKBERRY JAM RECIPE WITHOUT PECTIN

First, gather your ripe berries and set aside at least 1 pound to make jam. It is so tempting to eat all the berries, which is why I loved going to a YouPick farm this year. You can eat your fill and still have enough for jams, sauces, and desserts for a small cost.

Once you have your berries whether they are ripe or frozen from the grocery store (either way works) place the berries and about 1 cup of granulated sugar in a saucepan. Mix the berries and the sugar and let cook for about 15 minutes or on medium-low heat.

Once combined smash up the berries with a potato masher. All of the juice from the fresh berries will go into the saucepan.

Bring the sugar and the berry mixture to a full boil and then add in about 1/4 bottle of lemon juice. I like to use the actual bottle of lemon juice because the acidity levels are usually higher than just fresh squeezed lemon. Let all of the ingredients meld together for about 15-20 minutes. It is really important to let the berries, sugar, and lemon juice cook together well so it will properly set later on. If your berry mixture is too thin and runny it just means it was not cooked long enough. Error on the side of cooking longer versus shorter.

If you want to add a touch of pectin in, now is the time. Do not cook for longer than 1 minute with the pectin so be sure to add it at the very last minute (quite literally).

Once this simple blackberry jam is cooked to perfection, get out your jam jars and leave about 1/4 inch headspace at the top. Use your funnel and pour the jam inside! Secure the lids and rims and wipe clean. You are now ready to give your jam a water bath for 10 minutes. Once they are done boiling in the water at least 1-2 inches high carefully take them out and let them sit on the counter uninterrupted for at least 12 hours. Check the seals and if the button gives or pops up. They are good to go.

Store in the refrigerator for at least one month. Store in the pantry for 1 year if they are properly sealed. If you do not want to mess with a water bath, this step can be skipped and you can let the jam rest at room temperature for at least 12 hours. The jam will not last as long though. Up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Easy Blackberry Jam (With or Without Pectin)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 30 mins

Resting Time 12 hrs

Total Time 14 hrs

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 2 Jars

Equipment

• 2 Half pint mason jars with lids (4 oz. also work great)
• A funnel for distributing the jam into the jars
• Tongs for taking jars our of boiling hot water
• Potato masher or blender to mash up the berries
• Wooden Spoon
• Sauce pan for simmering the fresh berries
• A water bath canner or large stock pot to cover the jars

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb. Fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1/4 bottle Lemon juice
• 1 cup Granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. Pectin (optional if using) Pair with 1 Tbsp. of sugar

Instructions

 

• First, gather your ripe berries and set aside at least 1 pound to make jam. It is so tempting to eat all the berries, which is why I loved going to a YouPick farm this year. You can eat your fill and still have enough for jams, sauces, and desserts for a small cost.
• Once you have your berries whether they are ripe or frozen from the grocery store (either way works) place the berries and about 1 cup of granulated sugar in a sauce pan. Mix the berries and the sugar together and let cook for about 15 minutes or on medium low heat.
• Once combined smash up the berries with a potato masher. All of the juice from the fresh berries will go into the sauce pan.
• Bring the sugar and the berry mixture to a full boil and then add in about 1/4 bottle of lemon juice. I like to use the actual bottle of lemon juice because the acidity levels are usually higher than just fresh squeezed lemon. Let all of the ingredients meld together for about 15-20 minutes. It is really important to let the berries, sugar, and lemon juice cook together well so it will properly set later on. If your berry mixture is too thin and runny it just means it was not cooked long enough. Error on the side of cooking longer versus shorter.
• If you want to add a touch of pectin in, now is the time. Do not cook for longer than 1 minute with the pectin so be sure to add it at the very last minute (quite literally).
• Once this simple blackberry jam is cooked to perfection, get out your jam jars and leave about 1/4 inch head space at the top. Use your funnel and pour the jam inside! Secure the lids and rims and wipe clean. You are now ready to give your jam a water bath for 10 minutes. Once they are done boiling in the water at least 1-2 inches high carefully take them out and let them sit on the counter uninterrupted for at least 12 hours. Check the seals and if the button gives or pops up. They are good to go.
• Store in the refrigerator for at least one month. Store in the pantry for 1 year if they are properly sealed. If you do not want to mess with a water bath, this step can be skipped and you can let the jam rest at room temperature for at least 12 hours. The jam will not last as long though. Up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

Keyword Blackberry Jam, easy blackberry jam recipe without pectin, Homemade blackberry jam