You do not need refined sugars to make jam. This blueberry honey jam is thick without additional pectin, and is friendly for those following the paleo diet.
Some women enjoy spa days. Some women enjoy partying and socializing. This girl? Well, I enjoy farms. There is something about seeing brilliant fruits and vegetables growing from dirt.
I have visited many farms since I started this blog. I consider this a wonderful perk to my “job.” I have seen how potatoes are grown and harvested. I have walked through avocado groves. I loved strolling through olive groves.
And I loved visiting all types of farms when I visited California’s central valley with the Farm Water Bureau. So when when I was invited to go blueberry picking on a local farm, well, no one needed to to ask me twice!
Why this recipe is so awesome
We have small blueberry bush in our yard, but have never seen rows and rows of massive blueberry bushes so beautifully studded with ginormous blueberries. Mary and I were the only ones lucky enough to be there and we were baffled on where to start.
The blueberries were sweet and juicy right off the bush. I had never seen such big blueberries. You certainly don’t see them at the grocery store.
Big ones. Fat ones. Small ones. Sour ones. Our hands quickly stripped the bushes. Yet, as we looked back, it looked as if the bushes were untouched. There was no way we could pick them all. And quite honestly, we didn’t need to.
I came home with buckets filled with blueberries. We ate a lot as is. I shared even more with friends and family. I baked blueberry lemon bars and blueberry tarts. And of course, I had to make some blueberry jam with honey.
I come from a family of jam lovers and jam makers. Once you make homemade jam, you really become picky about the store bought jams out there. There really is something extra special and delicious about a homemade bottle of preserves.
Jam making is a relatively simple process, and blueberry jam is one of the easiest jams to make. There is not peeling or husking involved. Simple rinse and remove the stems from the blueberries and you are ready to go!
I made blueberry jam with honey this time because I have made it with regular sugar and even homemade blueberry preserves with brown sugar. It was time to try something different.
Everything is added to a non reactive pot and you bring your blueberry mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and let it bubble away until the jam thickens. So simple.
Ingredients you need
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- Blueberries: Fresh fruit at the peak of its season is always the best choice when jam making. You can make jam with frozen blueberries, but I prefer fresh.
- Honey: There has been a lot in the news about the adulteration of honey. Some of it being sold as real honey, but being mixed with corn syrup. So be sure to choose a good quality honey since it is sweetening your jam.
- Lemon juice: Citrus juice naturally contains pectin, which is why it is added to fruit to make jam.
Tools to Use
Step-by-step directions
1. Wash and remove stems and leaves from blueberries. Throw out any smooshed or unripened blueberries.
2. In a large non-reactive pot over medium heat add blueberries and stir in honey and lemon juice. Using a potato masher, press down on blueberries to burst and release juices.
3. Bring jam to boil, and remove the foam that forms. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until jam thickens, approximately 20 minutes.
4. If you prefer a chunkier jam, leave as is. For a smoother jam, continue mashing or use an immersion blender. If you are going to store in the refrigerator, cool until room temperature first then transfer to an airtight container. Or, if you are canning your jam, click here for canning instructions.
Recipe tips and FAQs
Because this blueberry jam is sweetened with honey, this makes it a paleo-friendly recipe. It is thick and dreamy and only as good as the blueberries you use. My glorious blueberries made an equally glorious Paleo Blueberry Jam.
Oh. My. Gawd.
I will be enjoying spoonfuls of this jam for the next month or two.
I mashed my blueberry jam with a potato masher because I like a think and chunky jam. But If you want a smoother jam, you can use am immersion blender to purée the blueberries.
Jam is fruit made with a sweetener that is cooked down until syrupy. You can use regular white sugar, brown sugar or yes, even honey. The amount of honey you use depends on how naturally sweet your fruit is and how sweet you like your jam.
Pectin is usually added to jellies, or fruit based jams that do not have a lot of substance to it. This blueberry jam is thick and syrupy without the need of adding pectin. Just cook it down until it thickens.
If you are only making a jar or two of blueberry honey jam, just store it in the refrigerator. It lasts for a month or two in the refrigerator, that is if you don’t eat it all up before then!
If you hot can your blueberry honey jam, it is recommended that it be used within a year. Canning your jam using hot water is a very easy technique. I have instructions on how to can with hot water here.
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Paleo Blueberry Honey Jam
You do not need refined sugars to make jam. This blueberry honey jam is thick without additional pectin, and is friendly for those following the paleo diet.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh blueberries
- ½ cup honey
- 2 TBS lemon juice
Instructions
- Wash and remove stems and leaves from blueberries.
- In a large non-reactive pot over medium heat add blueberries and stir in honey and lemon juice.
- Using a potato masher, press down on blueberries to burst and release juices.
- Bring jam to boil, and remove the foam that forms.
- Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until jam thickens, approximately 20 minutes.
- If you prefer a chunkier jam, leave as is. For a smoother jam, continue mashing or use an immersion blender.
- If you are going to store in the refrigerator, cool until room temperature first then transfer to an airtight container. Or, if you are canning your jam, click here for canning instructions.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14Serving Size:
1 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 49Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 0g
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Hello..if I wanted to add fresh ginger and ground cinnamon how much would you suggest?
Thank you.
Hi Linda-
It depends on how strong a flavor you want. Ginger is a little spicy and is very aromatic, so I’d start with a little at first. Maybe 1/2-1 tsp of grated ginger? Cinnamon you can add a stick to infuse the flavor and then remove it, or stir in about 1/4-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. These are just guesstimates on my part.
Laura
How long is the jam good for?
Hi Molly,
Homemade jam should last in the fridge for about one month. Because this jam is made with honey and honey has natural preservative power, I’m confident it could last longer.
If I CAN it; how long do these roughly last?
If properly canned, just like other canned jams – about one year.
This recipe sounds delicious, but in Washington state we’re a long way off from fresh blueberries…but I still have frozen berries! Will they work in this recipe??
Absolutely! You may not need as much water with frozen berries as you would with fresh, but the basic recipe works the same.
Water?! There’s no water in the recipe! Help!
Hi Jacqueline-
No water is needed. The blueberries release their juices when cooking giving you all the liquid you need.
Laura
So what do you use it on from a Paleo standpoint? I love jam and have some great ones (Huckleberry, Cantaloupe, etc.) but I’m used to eating on bread or crackers so since going Paleo our jam consumption has definitely dropped.
There are lots of recipes out there for paleo crackers and bread. You can also use the jam for paleo dessert, like thumbprint cookies. Instead of traditional flour, paleo baked goods usually use alternate flours like coconut flour and almond meal. One of my favorite sites are https://elanaspantry.com and Carolyn of http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/ makes low carb foods that are friendly for diabetics.
Love the story…Love blueberries. And am grateful for your yummy pectin-free jam recipe which looks and sounds delicious! P.s. 1 Bet you won the most blueberry picker prize. Ps 2 Did you ever read Blueberries for Saul as a kid?
The berries were so sweet, this is a perfect recipe for them! What fun we had picking…
I’ll be right over with my toasted sourdough bread. 🙂