Blueberry jam is my absolute favourite jam, I love it on scones or spooned through the filling of my apple crumble or dolloped over pavlova, this easy homemade blueberry jam recipe made with brown sugar is just as delicious as it is easy to make.
This recipe is one I have made many times. On the morning I decided it was time to make this batch, and take photos, was one of those mornings where everything fell apart around me, there were kids everywhere, and I had guests arriving for morning tea, I realise I didn’t pick the best time to take photo’s for this recipe, but as I used ALL of my blueberries, ( almost 2 kilos) and the prices have gone back up, I am not sure I will get the chance to make another batch.
Can you use brown sugar in jam?
You certainly can! you won’t find it in a commercial jam as it adds extra flavour, and the course white sugar they use sets firmer and clearer than brown, but in a blueberry jam, which sets very thick with whatever sugar you use so brown sugar is a great choice for a deeper flavour.
How much sugar to fruit to make blueberry jam?
It is 1:1, so 500 grams of fruit to 500 grams of sugar.
For blueberry jam, the ratio should be less, as little as 125 grams of brown sugar to every 500 grams of blueberries, this ratio sets the jam thickly and is sweet enough to eat off the spoon.
Can you use frozen blueberries to make blueberry jam?
Yes, you can, however, you need to cook them for longer before adding the sugar to cook the water out, otherwise, you will have a watery jam once it cools.
I use frozen berries to make a coulis with brown sugar and cinnamon in small batches to serve over crepes or sourdough. It’s the same recipe as this one, only smaller and without the lemon.
I make this in spring when for a few days the prices of blueberries drop and I can stock up on 8-10 punnets for my years worth of jam.
WASH YOUR BERRIES THE DAY BEFORE
If you don’t want watery jam them I suggest you wash them the day before, and then lay them on a cloth and gently rub dry before storing them in a cool dry place for the next day’s jam making, keep a cloth or paper towel at the bottom of the container or bowl to collect the water as it leaves the berries for the next few hours.
IF you are going straight into jam making and you haven’t pre-washed the day before then lay your berries on a damp cloth and with another damp cloth gently pat them clean.
You don’t need pectin for this recipe
This recipe can set too sticky if you overdo it, and unlike strawberry jam, I find blueberry jam sets quicker and with lower heat.
You won’t need pectin, and you do not need the 1:1 sugar ratio, just a squeeze of lemon and a rolling boil will get you a sticky spreadable jam that isn’t runny or sickly sweet.
Easy blueberry jam recipe with brown sugar- the method
cook the berries down slightly, just add them to a large pot on high heat and stir for 10 minutes or until they expel enough liquid to form a berry soup.
Add you sugar, I added two cups to 2 kilos of blueberries. If you arent cooking a large batch, that is 125g of sugar to 500 grams of blueberries.
If you would like to add more sugar it is totally up to you, you add a 1:1 ratio if you like, just be sure to measure by weight. in my recipe I say cups, but I have measured it in grams and given it in cups to be time savvy.
Rolling boil
The rolling boil is crucial in any jam to reach the setting point of the sugar and acid found in the berries, it is now when I add a squeeze of lemon around 2 tablespoons.
When the boil changes and the bubbles don’t pop immediately, the pace is slower and you can hear pops as the mixture thickens, now is when you can pay attention and determine how thick you want your jam.
For a consistency that is thick enough to hold its own on a scone, which is my go-to consistency, I cook it until the mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon.
Once it does this I remove it from the heat and let it cool.
Storing blueberry jam
If you have a few jars around that you bought jam in, or any jar that you still have the lid for you can pop the hot jam in, place the lid on and put it in a pot of water and bring to the boil, boil for 15 minutes, and then turn off the heat and let the jars cool in the water, later remove and pop the lids, if they don’t pop back up again, you have blueberry jam for years to come!
If they do, you can try again or store it in the fridge for up to 3 months.
This recipe made two jam jar sizes of jam and another third small one.
Freezing blueberry jam
You can freeze blueberry jam, in zip lock bags, as much as you like in each one and store for up to a year, to reheat, place in a small pot on the stove and melt.
Ways to serve my easy blueberry jam recipe with brown sugar
I keep mine in the pantry until Christmas time and serve on my pavlova!
One that will never get old is on toast with butter, or a freshly baked scone, wrapped in a crepe and sprinkled with cinnamon.
Or you can sandwich it on my vanilla sponge!
Easy blueberry jam recipe with brown sugar
Sweet, thick blueberry jam, spread it in toast or serve it over crepes or crumble! My favourite way is on scones with cream!
Ingredients
- 2 kilos of blueberries
- 2 cups of brown sugar (not hard packed)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- wash your berries the day before, or, pat clean with a damp cloth if cooking the same day.
- if you are using 2 kilos of berries, choose as least a 6-8 litre pot. I do not recommend cooking any more than 2 kilos at one time, if you have more than that you will have to batch cook.
- If you are using frozen berries, place them into the pot on medium heat and let the water reduce for 15 minutes before turning the heat up and adding the sugar.
- Add sugar and lemon once you reach the rolling boil. (rolling boil is the continuous motion of bubbles that makes the mixture rise in a rolling wave motion)
- cook until you reach the point of bubbles forming on the top of the mixture that pop slower, dip a clean spoon into the mixture to check the consistency.
- you can reduce the heat if you find the mix starting to thick to the bottom of the pot, stir continually.
- You can cook until the mixture coats the back of the spoon, for a thickness like the first image, (scones) or you can cook further until the mixture parts when you run a spoon down the centre.
- once you have reached your desired consistency, (this usually takes anywhere from 40-80 minutes)
- allow the jam to cool sightly.
- Store in your preferred method.
Notes
you can add more sugar, this ratio is .4 to 1.
you can add cinnamon to your jam.
you can use a mix of sugars, including dark brown sugar for a stronger caramel flavour.
looking for strawberry jam?
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