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Homemade Blueberry jelly is a sweet, smooth preserve made from blueberries, sugar, and pectin. It has a deep purple color and a rich, fruity flavor with a hint of tartness. Unlike jam, it contains no fruit pieces, giving it a glossy texture that spreads easily on toast, pastries, or desserts. Warm it slightly and it can be used as a blueberry syrup for topping pancakes or waffles.

This is hands down one of our favorite jellies! With only 4 ingredients, this blueberry jelly is easy to make even if you are new to canning. And it makes a great gift! Use frozen or fresh blueberries.

While you certainly don’t have to can the jelly, it will last longer if you do. But even then, your Blueberry Jelly may not last long because it is that good!

And if you are looking for something for the holidays or you like strawberries, check out my Best Homemade Christmas Jam recipe. This strawberry-cranberry jam is sweet yet slightly tart and is so so good that it won’t last long once the jar is opened!

Adapted from Emily Teel for Taste of Home

Ingredients

Blueberries: Whether you pick them yourself, or buy them in the produce section, be sure to wash them. Don’t worry about removing the tiny stems that cling to the fruit. All the solids will be strained away before canning.
Sugar: Granulated white sugar works best in this recipe. It acts as a preservative and enhances the flavor of the blueberries. It’s worth noting that pectin reacts with sugar, so unless you use a no-sugar or lite pectin, you won’t want to cut the sugar in this recipe.
Liquid fruit pectin: Fruit pectin helps “set” the jelly. If you want to avoid the sulfates present in liquid pectin, you can use powered pectin, but you’ll need to tweak how you use it.
Water: Simmering the blueberries in water infuses them with a deep color and full flavor that acts as the base for the finished jelly.

How long will Blueberry Jelly keep?

As long at the jar hasn’t been opened, canned Blueberry Jelly can be stored at room temperature for up to two years. Once it’s opened, store it in the fridge and use it within one month. Tuck the jelly onto one of the shelves in the main compartment. You can also freeze the jelly using freezer safe jars or containers.

Can this Blueberry Jelly be made without pectin?

Yes, it is possible to make jelly without pectin, however it takes practice. It helps to use fruits that are naturally high in pectin, like apples, cranberries, pears, and citrus fruits. To do this, simply simmer the fruits, and as the water evaporates, you will notice the jelly thickening naturally.

Why Water-Bath Canning?

Water-bath canning is only for produce that is HIGH in acid. Such as, tomatoes, berries, fruit, sauerkraut, and pickled vegetables. It’s great for making jams, jellies, and pickled veggies. Their natural acidity, in addition to time in the boiling water bath, helps preserve them safely without having to use high pressure.

Water-bath canning in NOT for meats, seafood, poultry, chili, beans, corn, or other low-acid vegetables that require a higher temperature (240 degrees F) to raise the heat inside the jars above the boiling point of water (212 degrees F) and hot enough for a long enough period of time to kill harmful bacteria. Low-acid food requires pressure canning.

What equipment is needed?

A boiling water canner: This is a large, deep pot usually made of aluminum with a fitted lid. It needs to be deep enough so that your jars can be completely submerged with at least 1 inch of water above the tops. A boiling water canner is not required, but any stockpot needs to work similarly.
A rack that fits inside the canner: It is essential that the jars are elevated above the direct heat at the bottom of the pot. Don’t allow jars to sit directly on the bottom of the canner because they can crack from the heat.
Canning jars: I usually use Mason, Ball or Kerr brands. They come in many sizes but for this recipe you may want to use 1/2 pint or 1/4 pint jars. You can use regular or wide mouth jars depending on your preference. Canning jars can be reused. Just be sure to check them each time for chips or cracks.
Clean, rust free, non-dented metal bands: These screw onto the threaded rims of the jars. They hold the lids in place until the food is processed, sealed, and cooled. The bands can be reused but don’t keep them on the processed jars when storing.
Metal canning lids: These come in two sized, regular and wide mouth. You MUST use brand new lids every time you process food. With the newer lids, you do not need to warm them first. Just be sure to clean the jar rim with vinegar first.
Canning funnel: This is a wide-mouthed funnel that keeps food from spilling while you are filling the jars. This item can be reused.
A stainless steel ladle: A soup ladle works well for filling the canning jars.
A jar lifter: This is an essential item. These are specialized tongs that fit around the base of the canning jar rims to safely grab and lift the hot jars straight up and out of the canner after processing or to lower them into the canner of boiling water.
Stainless steel stockpot: You will need one large enough to hold and cook a big batch of food before you ladle them into the canning jars for processing in the canner.
Cheesecloth: Cheesecloth is needed to separate the blueberry solids from the juice.

For detailed instructions on how to use the water-bath method for canning, check out these two websites:simplycanning.com/water-bath-canning and almanac.com/water-bath-canning-beginners-guide

Blueberry Jelly Variations

Add some spice: Try a baking spice aroma by adding a whole cinnamon stick or star anise pods to the fruit mixture as it cooks. Using a cinnamon stick instead of ground cinnamon infuses the jelly without affecting the clarity of the finished jelly.
Add a splash of almond or vanilla: Add a splash of either almond or vanilla extract to the blueberry juice mixture when adding the sugar. I personally prefer the vanilla over the almond.

Tips & Substitutes

Can you make blueberry jelly using frozen blueberries? Absolutely! Frozen blueberries mean you can make this wonderful jelly anytime of the year. Substitute eight cups of frozen blueberries for the fresh ones in this recipe. No need to defrost or mash them before cooking them in the water. The freezing process breaks down the cell walls inside the blueberries and helps them release their juices without having to crush them which can save time.

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