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Homemade blueberry jelly transforms fresh summer berries into a silky, seedless spread with pure, concentrated blueberry flavor. Unlike blueberry jam, which keeps the skins and pulp, jelly strains all of that out and leaves you with nothing but smooth, jewel-toned sweetness that glides onto toast and disappears into yogurt.

Jars of homemade blueberry jelly

I’ll admit that I’m usually more of a chunky jam person. I like whole fruit preserves with texture, and blueberry jam is one of my go-to canning recipes. But my kids are jelly lovers through and through, and they talked me into giving this a try.

They started with strawberry jelly, and I have to say, it won me over. The flavor was more intense than any jam I’d made because there was no pulpy fiber diluting it. So when they asked for blueberry jelly, I gave in, and once again, they were right. This stuff is bright, smooth, and incredibly delicious. Without the skins, the blueberry flavor really comes through, and there’s none of that slight bitterness that sometimes sneaks into blueberry jam. Now it’s a pantry staple around here.

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And now, of course, they’ve got me making blackberry jelly and raspberry jelly for my pantry too. No seeds, all flavor.

Blueberry jelly in a jar with a spoon

Notes from My Kitchen

Since blueberry jelly is a particular favorite of my little ones, I never have a problem getting them to volunteer for picking duty in our blueberry patch. Their tiny fingers are perfect for selecting ripe fruit from clusters of berries, and they take the job seriously knowing their beloved jelly is on the line.

If you want to skip the juice extraction step, you can absolutely use bottled blueberry juice for this recipe. It works beautifully and cuts your hands-on time significantly. That said, there’s something special about making it from scratch with fresh-picked berries, and the flavor is noticeably brighter when you start from whole fruit. If you have access to fresh blueberries, I’d encourage you to try it at least once.

Choosing Blueberries for Jelly

The secret to amazing blueberry jelly is starting with fully ripe fruit. You might see some jelly recipes recommending a mix of underripe fruit for added pectin, but that doesn’t apply here. Blueberries are naturally low in pectin, so no matter how underripe they are, they won’t have enough to gel on their own. This recipe uses added pectin, which means you can focus entirely on flavor and choose the ripest, juiciest berries you can find.

Store-bought or homegrown, fresh or frozen, it all works. Around here, I usually use highbush blueberries from our patch, but wild blueberries work beautifully too. Frozen blueberries are also fine, though they may yield slightly less juice than fresh.

You’ll need about 4 quarts of fresh blueberries to get 4 cups of juice for a batch. If you only have a small amount, this recipe scales down easily. And yes, bottled blueberry juice works too if you’re short on berries or want to skip the extraction step entirely.

Picking fresh blueberries for jelly

How to Make Blueberry Jelly

Making blueberry jelly is a two-step process. First you extract the juice, then you cook it with pectin and sugar to make the jelly. The juice extraction takes about 2 hours (mostly hands-off draining time), and the actual jelly making takes about 15 minutes.

Extracting Blueberry Juice

Start by combining 4 quarts of fresh blueberries with 4 cups of water in a large pot. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, mashing the berries as they cook. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the berries are completely broken down and the liquid is deeply colored.

Strain the cooked fruit through a jelly bag or a colander lined with several layers of damp cheesecloth. Now, I know you’re supposed to let it drain slowly without squeezing if you want crystal-clear jelly, but blueberries are fairly dry fruit and they just don’t give up their juice easily. I squeeze the bag.

Yes, your hands will turn blue, but it’s worth it. Even with squeezing, you’ll barely get 4 cups of juice from 4 quarts of berries.

Blueberry juice draining through a jelly bag

If you have a steam juicer, that’s an even more efficient way to extract the juice. Several readers have reported getting 8 cups of juice from 4 quarts of berries using a steam juicer, which is double what you get from the traditional method.

Cooking the Jelly

Once you’ve got your juice, pour it into a large, deep pot. Stir in one box of powdered pectin and bring it to a hard boil over medium-high heat. Boil hard for one full minute, stirring constantly.

After one minute, stir in 4 cups of sugar and return it to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for another minute while stirring constantly, then remove from heat.

If you’d like to brighten the flavor, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice along with the blueberry juice before cooking. Blueberries are acidic enough for safe canning without it, but the lemon adds a nice brightness that balances the sweetness.

Blueberry jelly coating a spoon

Testing for Gel Stage

Unlike no-pectin jams that require careful temperature monitoring, jelly made with powdered pectin is more forgiving. The pectin is activated by the combination of sugar, acid, and heat, and the gel forms as the jelly cools.

The key is to boil hard for exactly one minute after adding the sugar. A full rolling boil is one that doesn’t stop bubbling when you stir it. If you want extra assurance, you can check the temperature. Jelly sets at 220°F at sea level. Subtract 2°F for every 1,000 feet of elevation above sea level.

Canning Blueberry Jelly

Ladle the hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth, apply two-piece lids, and process in a boiling water bath canner. If you’re new to canning, my beginner’s guide to water bath canning covers everything you need to know to get started.

  • 10 minutes at elevations below 6,000 feet
  • 15 minutes at elevations above 6,000 feet

Once sealed, blueberry jelly keeps in the pantry for 12 to 18 months, ready to brighten your breakfast on a cold winter day.

Canning jars of blueberry jelly

Altitude Adjustments

If you’re canning at high altitude, you’ll need to increase your processing time:

  • 0 to 6,000 feet: Process for 10 minutes
  • Above 6,000 feet: Process for 15 minutes

Yield Notes

This batch typically yields 4 to 5 half-pint jars, but final volume depends on how much juice you extract from your berries and how long you cook the jelly.

Blueberry measurements: One quart of whole blueberries equals about 2 1/2 cups mashed. Four quarts of berries cooked with 4 cups water will yield approximately 4 cups of strained juice using the traditional method. If you’re using a steam juicer, expect closer to 6 to 8 cups.

Scaling the recipe: One box of powdered pectin equals 6 tablespoons, so you’ll need about 1 1/2 tablespoons of pectin per cup of juice. You can scale up to 8 cups of juice, but don’t go beyond that. Very large batches don’t heat evenly and may not set properly.

Storage Options

  • Pantry (canned): Properly sealed jars keep for 12 to 18 months in a cool, dark place.
  • Refrigerator: Unsealed jelly or opened jars keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
  • Freezer: Blueberry jelly freezes well for up to 12 months. Leave 1/2-inch headspace for expansion and use freezer-safe containers.
Close-up of blueberry jelly texture

Recipe Tips

  • Don’t skip the lemon juice. While not required for safety, 1 to 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice brightens the flavor significantly and helps balance the sweetness.
  • Use a deep pot. Jelly foams quite a bit when it reaches a rolling boil. A deep pot prevents overflows.
  • Measure your juice carefully. If you’re short of 4 cups, top off with a splash of apple or white grape juice. If you have extra, save it for another batch or use it in smoothies.
  • Save the pulp. The leftover cooked blueberry pulp is delicious in muffins, pancakes, or swirled into oatmeal, but you can also use it to make blueberry butter which uses nothing but blueberry pulp with the juice removed for jelly or blueberry syrup.
  • Be patient with setting. Jelly made with powdered pectin can take 24 to 48 hours to fully set. Some batches may take up to a week. Don’t call it a failure until you’ve given it time. But if it’s still not set at that point, read through my guide to troubleshooting an unset jelly.

Pectin Options

Standard pectin (this recipe): Requires a 1:1 ratio of sugar to juice. Use Sure-Jell or Ball powdered pectin.

Low sugar pectin: Sure-Jell Low Sugar lets you reduce sugar to 1 to 2 cups per 4 cups juice, or substitute honey or maple syrup.

Pomona’s Pectin: Works with any amount of sugar (or none). The set is softer, more like Jello. Read how to use Pomona’s Pectin first, as the process is different.

Liquid pectin: Not recommended. Requires 7 cups sugar for 4 cups juice and the texture is inconsistent.

Blueberry Jelly Variations

Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, try adding a flavor twist:

  • Vanilla Blueberry Jelly: Split a vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the juice before cooking, or add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract after removing the jelly from heat.
  • Blueberry Lavender Jelly: Add 1 tablespoon of dried culinary lavender to the berries while cooking, then strain it out with the pulp.
  • Blueberry Lemon Jelly: Increase the lemon juice to 1/4 cup and add a teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest.
  • Spiced Blueberry Jelly: Add a cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves while cooking the berries, then strain them out.
Finished jars of canned blueberry jelly

Blueberry Jelly FAQs

How long does blueberry jelly take to set?

Blueberry jelly made with powdered pectin typically takes 24 to 48 hours to fully set at room temperature. Some batches may take up to a week, depending on the fruit’s natural pectin content and how long the jelly was cooked. Don’t call it a failure until you’ve given it at least 48 hours to firm up.

Can I use frozen blueberries for jelly?

Yes, frozen blueberries work well for making jelly. They often yield slightly more juice than fresh berries since freezing breaks down some of the cell structure, and the flavor is still excellent. No need to thaw them before cooking.

Can I use a juicer instead of cooking and straining?

You can use a juicer, but cooking and straining produces a more flavorful jelly. Most of the flavor in blueberries is actually in the skins, and cooking them extracts that flavor into the juice like making a blueberry skin tea. A juicer separates the juice from the skins too quickly to get that same intensity. If you have a steam juicer, that’s an excellent option that extracts both juice and flavor efficiently.

What can I do with the leftover blueberry pulp?

The cooked blueberry pulp left over from juice extraction is delicious in baked goods. Fold it into muffin or pancake batter, swirl it into oatmeal, blend it into smoothies, or mix it with yogurt. Ball canning has a recipe for blueberry butter that uses the blueberry pulp leftover after jelly making, so that’s what I do with it.

Can I make blueberry syrup instead of jelly?

Absolutely. To make blueberry syrup, simply follow the recipe but omit the pectin. Cook the juice with sugar until it reaches your desired consistency. Start with less sugar (2 cups to 4 cups juice) and taste as you go. You can also add vanilla extract for a blueberry vanilla syrup that’s wonderful on pancakes.

Jelly Recipes

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Blueberry Jelly
4.53 from 21 votes
Servings: 48 servings, Makes 4-5 half pint (8 oz) jars

Blueberry Jelly

Blueberry jelly is a silky smooth preserve with pure, concentrated berry flavor. This recipe works with fresh berries, frozen fruit, or bottled juice and includes canning instructions for shelf-stable storage.
Prep: 2 hours 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Canning Time (Optional): 10 minutes
Total: 2 hours 30 minutes
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Ingredients 

  • 4 cups blueberry juice, purchased, or extracted from 4 quarts of fruit
  • 4 cups sugar, see notes for low sugar variation
  • 1 box Powdered Pectin, 1.75 oz, such as Sure Jel or 6 Tbsp. Bulk Pectin
  • 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, optional, see notes

Instructions 

Extracting Blueberry Juice

  • If using fresh berries, place 4 quarts of blueberries in a large saucepan with 4 cups water (1 cup per quart of fruit). Slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat, mashing the berries as they cook. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the berries have completely broken down.
  • Strain the mixture through a jelly bag or a colander lined with several layers of damp cheesecloth. Let it drain for at least 2 hours. You may gently squeeze the bag to release more juice. You should end up with about 4 cups of juice. If you’re short, top off with a splash of another fruit juice (like apple or cranberry). If you have extra, reserve it for another use.

Making Blueberry Jelly

  • Prepare canning jars, lids, and a water bath canner if preserving for shelf-stable storage. Keep everything hot until ready to fill.
  • Pour the 4 cups of strained blueberry juice into a jam pot and bring to a full boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in the powdered pectin and boil hard for 1 minute to activate the pectin.
  • Stir in the sugar and bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 more minute while stirring constantly.
  • Ladle the hot jelly into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply two-piece lids, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes at elevations below 6,000 feet, or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.
  • If not canning, allow the jelly to cool and set completely at room temperature before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.

Notes

Scaling the Recipe: If you’re scaling down the recipe, know that “one box” of pectin equals 6 Tablespoons, so you’ll need about 1 ½ Tablespoons of powdered pectin for each cup of juice.  If you’re scaling up, that’s fine too, but don’t go over 8 cups of juice.  Very large batches don’t heat evenly and may not set.
Lemon Juice (Optional): Blueberries are acidic enough for safe canning without added lemon juice, but a small amount will brighten the flavor and help balance the sweetness. Add 1 tablespoon up to 1/4 cup lemon juice along with the blueberry juice before boiling.  Personally, I think about 2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice adds amazing flavor, and that’s about right for my tastes.
Low Sugar Variation: To reduce sugar, use a low sugar pectin like Sure-Jell Low Sugar, Ball Low Sugar, or Mrs. Wages. You can reduce sugar to as little as 1 cup for 4 cups of juice, or sweeten with honey or maple syrup for a softer set and richer flavor. Pomona’s Pectin can also be used but follow the instructions on their package, as the process and measurements are different.
Using Liquid Pectin: Not recommended unless necessary. Liquid pectin requires 7 cups sugar to 4 cups juice and results in a very sweet jelly. If using, boil the juice and sugar first, then stir in 2 pouches of liquid pectin and boil 1 minute before jarring.
Purchased Juice: This recipe works equally well with bottled blueberry juice—just be sure it’s 100% juice with no added sugar or preservatives.

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 0.003g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.001g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.001g, Sodium: 8mg, Potassium: 20mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 1IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 0.4mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Ashley Adamant

I'm an off grid homesteader in rural Vermont and the author of Practical Self Reliance, a blog that helps people find practical ways to become more self reliant.

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42 Comments

  1. Sherise says:

    4 stars
    I made this jelly and let it sit in the counter for 72 hours and it never set. I used the exact recipe and times to ensure the pectin was activated but for some reason it never set. I will say though it made a great syrup and tasted amazing!

    1. Ashley Adamant says:

      Oh no, I’m sorry that happened! This recipe is the same as any that are put out by the pectin companies themselves, so the issue with setting is either that the order or operations wasn’t followed (ie. added sugar before pectin) or your pectin was too old perhaps. This guide to troubleshooting a jelly that didn’t set might help: https://creativecanning.com/troubleshooting-jelly-set/

  2. Roberta A Libero says:

    5 stars
    Very easy thanks!😋👍

    1. Ashley Adamant says:

      So glad you liked it!

  3. Paige Roundtree says:

    Can a juicer be used to take out the seeds & skins before cooking? Just wondering

    1. Ashley Adamant says:

      Yup, you could use a juicer. Most of the flavor of blueberries is in the skins though, so a juicer would yield a less intensely flavored jelly. When you make it by cooking then straining, you’re actually making more of a blueberry skin tea that really gets great flavor into the finished jelly.

    2. Administrator says:

      The seeds and skins often have lots of pectin in them that is necessary for the gelling process.

      1. Doris Ashley says:

        When does it start to jell up when it cools

        1. Ashley Adamant says:

          Jellies often take 48 to 72 hours to set.

      2. Sherri says:

        Hi. Our 4 year old is beginning to like blueberry everything. I want to do this for him. I was wondering if I can use the clean Alfredo jars or the spaghetti jars as the canning. Thanks in advance.

        1. Ashley Adamant says:

          Alfredo jars work just fine for refrigerator jams, but often they’re made of a different type of glass that may not the best in a canner. The lids often are only good for one seal too, since the sealing compound isn’t made to be reused. It will definitely store in those jars, but may not be the best canned in those jars.

  4. Daphne says:

    I am hoping to use your recipe for the jelly but all I have are frozen blueberries. Will it still work?

    1. Administrator says:

      Yes, that will still work.

  5. Amanda L. Boyd says:

    I made this with some of my older frozen blueberries and this recipe is so so good!!!!! I’m thinking about buying some blueberry juice so I can make some more to give as gifts to some of my friends for the holidays!!!!

    1. Administrator says:

      That’s great! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe.

  6. Diane Croken says:

    I have blueberry juice from a blueberry farm. I would like to make blueberry vanilla syrup. What would suggest I use to make a syrup instead of a jelly? how much vanilla do you think I should add?

    Thank you for any suggestions you can give me.

    Diane

    1. Administrator says:

      You can just follow the recipe omitting the pectin. As far as the vanilla, you could start with 1 tsp and just taste it before canning.

  7. Carol J Casey says:

    Great recipe! I have canned for many years, and usually made jam from my blueberries, but my son now cannot have the seeds or skins due to diverticulitis, so made jelly. I used my steam juice extractor (about 45 years old and makes juicing SO easy! I put in the berries, steam for one hour and let the juice drip into the pot in the extractor, and drain in the morning. I put in a measured 16 cups of berries, and this morning drained off a little over 8 cups of clear blueberry juice! I made a double batch using all the juice, 8 cups of suger and 2 packages of Sure-Jel. I yielded 7 PINTS of jelly! It is still cooling, but all sealed and definitely will be a great jelly based on sampling the little bit left in the pot after canning. Great color, consistency and flavor. Made in rural northeaster Vermont! So glad I found your page! Thanks

    1. Administrator says:

      That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing.

  8. Carolyn says:

    Hi, thanks for this recipe. It worked great for me and I say that with much happiness, as I’ve tried many recipes, following them to a “T”, and received less than ok results. Either syrupy or lately, some “gluey” tasting stuff,uck.
    I used the powdered pectin full sugar method, and added 1 TBSP of lemon juice. Wonderful!
    A note though, I was thinking that 4 cups of juice and 4 cups of sugar would definitely make more than 4 cups of jelly, and probably more than 5 cups. My yield was exactly 6 cups. Most recipes I’ve used come out the same, meaning, if you add the cups of juice and the cups of sugar together, your yield will be pretty close to 3/4s of that total. (4C + 4C = 8C X .75 = 6C) Helps me to better figure out how many jars to prepare.
    This holds true for powdered pectin recipes, liquid pectin should work similarly, but no added pectin recipes will be different.

    As I had extra other fruit after using this recipe, I followed it to make another batch using blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, probably close to an equal amount of each. They’re all low pectin fruits so I figured it might work ok. It came out great too.
    So thank you again for the recipe, it’s definitely a keeper.

    1. Administrator says:

      That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing.

  9. Stephanie says:

    I tried this recipe for the first time ever!!! The kids love the jelly so much!! Is there anything I can do with the leftover smooshed blueberries and extra blueberry juice?

    1. Administrator says:

      They might work well in some muffins or maybe some pancakes or other baked good.

  10. Melanie says:

    Just made this jelly. How long does it take for it to ‘set’? Finished about 3 hours ago, not set yet.

    1. Ashley Adamant says:

      It depends on the type of pectin you use, but mine usually take about 48 hours to set fully. The pectin brands say that it can take up to 7 days to fully set depending on the fruit.

  11. Lesa says:

    I want to make this soon. How many jelly jars will I need for this recipe?
    Thanks

    1. Administrator says:

      This recipe makes 4 or 5 half pint jars.

      1. John says:

        I have run into a variance with this. Depending on how much water you use to boil down the berries, this will offset the total number of jars you will get. I have run this three times and got more than expected.

        1. Administrator says:

          The amount of water will affect the amount of juice that you get from the berries, that’s true. You want to measure out 4 cups of juice for the jelly recipe and then save the remaining juice for another use.

  12. Beckie says:

    Great recipe. I am making my second batch. I added jalapeno peppers this time and I used my fruit/vegetable attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer this time to strain the berries. OMG, big time saver.

    1. Administrator says:

      Thank you. We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe.

  13. Jayne says:

    Have you ever used a steam juicer? I wonder which method releases the most juice. Can’t wait to try jelly instead of traditional jam.

    1. Administrator says:

      A steam juicer is definitely the way to go if you have one available to you. It can be much quicker and more effective.

  14. John says:

    I have tried multiple recipes to try and get the right consistency in my jelly but, until now, it has come out as a syrup or has been turned into a paste. Not this recipe. This recipe is spot on! I used both powdered and liquid pectin, making sure to follow the recipes for each and I can’t make it fast enough! I do a LOT of canning so I will have gifts to hand out at Christmas time and this jelly is absolutely perfect!!! Well done!!! I have since added this recipe to my Jellies and preserves recipe book knowing that this recipe will now become my go-to every year when I pick 30+ gallons of these delectable berries.

    1. Administrator says:

      That’s great! We’re so glad your blueberry jelly turned out so well.

  15. Lisa C. says:

    This tastes so good! My kids and I picked fresh blueberries this week and I just made 13 jars (8oz). Not sure if I did something wrong though since I got 8 cups of juice from 4 quarts of berries. I canned 12 jars and I had an extra jar that I didn’t can so we could enjoy now!

    1. Administrator says:

      Sounds like you must have had some really juicy berries.

  16. Kat says:

    5 stars
    You made a recipe that was so easy to follow. I loved all your directions. Thanks so much.

  17. Beckie says:

    Great recipe. Just made 14 jars from fresh picked blueberries.

    1. Administrator says:

      That’s wonderful. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.

  18. Laurie Hoyt says:

    Can I add a vanilla bean or caviar to this recipe?

    1. Administrator says:

      I don’t see why not. Let me know how it goes.