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.

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.

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.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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