Fall

Quick Blueberry Jam

by:
March 12, 2015
5
2 Ratings
Quick Blueberry Jam
  • Makes a little less than a cup
Author Notes

The first few times I made this, I just covered the blueberries in sugar without measuring. But I've found that a good balance is about 3 parts blueberries to 1 part sugar. But feel free to crank up or take down the sugar.

I use this on waffles, pancakes, French toast, and crêpes. Once it is cold, it firms up and works well as a jam for sandwiches. It's great as a layer between cakes or as a glaze for a cheesecake.

Since I'm not following the proper preserving rules, make sure to keep it in the fridge and eat it within a few days. —Phyllis Grant

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/16 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons water
Directions
  1. Place all ingredients in a pan. Turn heat to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring every minute or so. When it comes to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. It will start to release neon juices and the fruit will begin to soften. Cook up to 30 minutes. Up to you. The longer you go, the smoother and more jam-like it will be. Store in the fridge and eat within a few days.
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  • Stan
    Stan
  • Monique
    Monique
  • Amber Bernstein
    Amber Bernstein
  • Phyllis Grant
    Phyllis Grant
  • Kristie Christie
    Kristie Christie
Phyllis Grant
Phyllis Grant is an IACP finalist for Personal Essays/Memoir Writing and a three-time Saveur Food Blog Awards finalist for her blog, Dash and Bella. Her essays and recipes have been published in a dozen anthologies and cookbooks including Best Food Writing 2015 and 2016. Her work has been featured both in print and online for various outlets, including Oprah, The New York Times, Food52, Saveur, The Huffington Post, Time Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, Tasting Table and Salon. Her memoir with recipes, Everything Is Out of Control, is coming out April 2020 from Farrar Straus & Giroux. She lives in Berkeley, California with her husband and two children.

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12 Reviews

Cindy C.
Cindy C. September 29, 2023
I followed the recipe but I didn't have any lemon juice or zest. So I added a little cinnamon and it turned out GREAT!
 
Stan
Stan May 10, 2020
Pineapple works good too. One makes a ton of jam/sauce/preserves but blueberry is really good.
 
Steph
Steph April 5, 2015
Can the sugar be replaced with maple syrup?
 
Monique
Monique March 24, 2015
Do you think the recipe, as is, would work with other berries/fruit? (I thinking specifically about blackberries, strawberries and peaches)
 
Amber B.
Amber B. March 24, 2015
the thing about blueberries is they are very very high in pectin which makes the jam. other fruits might be runnier - more saucy than jammy.
 
Phyllis G.
Phyllis G. March 24, 2015
thank you, amber. i've done this with apricot, peaches, strawberries, and blackberries. sometimes all of them combined. but i've had the best luck with blueberries in terms of color, texture, and flavor. but monique, you should play around. fruit is very forgiving. and the magical alchemy of fruit, sugar,heat is endlessly inspiring. btw, vanilla bean is really good with strawberries.
 
Amber B.
Amber B. March 22, 2015
Can you make this with frozen blueberries?
 
Phyllis G.
Phyllis G. March 23, 2015
absolutely. i've done it many times. my memory is the frozen berries release their juices much faster. it might be a more liquid jam. but you can reduce it down as much as you want. let me know if you try it.
 
Kristie C.
Kristie C. July 26, 2016
I used this recipe with frozen blueberries yesterday. Big hit! It is on the runny side---but I like it that way. Thanks for a great recipe.
 
Kristie C.
Kristie C. July 26, 2016
I made a pretty cheese board and put the jam out to go with soft cheese and French bread. I just posted a picture on my Instagram @kristiechristie
 
CT
CT March 21, 2015
Followed the directions as written and ended up with an amazing jam to place atop homemade biscuits. This recipe is fantastic! Aside from biscuits, this jam would be great on plane Greek yogurt. Thank you for sharing. This recipe is a staple.
 
Phyllis G.
Phyllis G. March 23, 2015
fabulous! thanks so much for reporting back.