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Blueberry Jelly

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Blueberry jelly is the smooth berry preserve that your summer’s missing.  Packed with blueberry flavor, but without the skins and seeds.
 
Homemade Blueberry Jelly

Usually, I’m all about chunky jams and fruit spreads, full of huge pieces of fruit and loads of texture.
 
My kids though?  They love jellies, and they’re slowly converting me.  They talked me into making strawberry jelly, and it was unbelievable.  More strawberry than strawberry, without the chunky fiber of actual fruit pieces in the preserve.   
 
This blueberry jelly was at their request, and I have to admit they were right.  While I absolutely love my homemade blueberry jam, this blueberry jelly really takes it up a notch.  
 
Though they may seem innocent enough, blueberry skins can actually take on a very slight bitter flavor in jams, distracting from the intense blueberry flavor.  In blueberry jelly, the skins (and seeds) are strained out, meaning this preserve is all flavor.
 
Blueberry Jelly

Selecting Fruit for Blueberry Jelly

Making blueberry jelly starts with the fruit.  Underripe fruit won’t release much juice, and they’ll impart an off-flavor to the finished jam.
 
Sometimes, jelly recipes suggest using up to 1/3 underripe fruit because underripe fruit contains more pectin than ripe fruit.  As the fruit ripen completely, the pectin breaks down, and the fruit becomes softer.
 
This is only true for “moderate pectin” fruits, like apples, blackberries, sour cherries, chokecherries, grapes, etc.  Adding a few underripe fruits when making chokecherry jelly or blackberry jelly can mean the difference between a smoothly jelled preserve and a jar that just won’t set.
 
The thing is, blueberries are “low pectin” fruits and blueberry jelly is more or less impossible to make without added pectin.  You can try a few natural pectin tricks, like using homemade citrus seed pectin or tart apple pectin, but you’ll never get enough pectin out of just straight blueberries (no matter how underripe).
 
Given that, choose the best quality fruit, picked at the peak of ripeness.  That fully ripe fresh flavor will come through in the finished blueberry jelly.
 
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.
 
Child picking blueberries for blueberry jelly

Blueberry Jelly Yield

A quick note on yield…

I’ve sized this blueberry jelly recipe for a single box of standard pectin, and it yields about 5 cups (5 half-pint jars).  It’s not a large batch, but blueberries don’t give much juice.  You’ll only need 4 cups of blueberry juice, but that means 4 quarts of fresh blueberries.

If you only have a few cups of blueberries, feel free to cut this recipe in half or quarters.  Starting with 4 cups (1 quart) of blueberries and using 1/4 box of pectin will yield just over one 8 oz jar of blueberry jelly. 

You can also use bottled blueberry juice instead of using the berries yourself.   

(Yields are slightly different if you use the low sugar blueberry jelly variation discussed later.)

How to Make Blueberry Jelly

For a single batch of blueberry jelly, start with 4 quarts of fresh blueberries.  (As an alternate measure, a single quart mashed yields 2 1/2 cups, so 10 cups mashed blueberries will also work).
 
Place the blueberries in a saucepan with 4 cups water (one cup for each quart, if you’re reducing the recipe).  
 
Mash the berries if you didn’t already before measuring, as you slowly bring the pot to a simmer.
 
Simmer the blueberry/water mixture for about 10 minutes until the berries have completely fallen apart and released their juices.
 
Pour the mixture into a jelly bag and allow it to drain for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
 
Blueberry Jelly Draining in a Jelly Bag

Juice for Blueberry Jelly Draining in a Jelly Bag

 
Most jelly recipes will tell you to be patient and resist the urge to squeeze the jelly bag.  They say just allow it to drain naturally if you want a clear jelly…
 
I imagine those people have not made blueberry jelly, because this is by far the slowest draining jelly on the planet.  Blueberries are quite dry and dense, and they just don’t give it up easily.
 
I confess…I squeezed the bag….a lot.  You’re going to have to if you want a meaningful amount of juice out of the berries.  (Warning, it will of course turn your hands blue.)
 
Even really working the bag to get every last bit of juice, four quarts of berries made about 4 cups of blueberry juice.
 
And my blueberry jelly’s not cloudy, so take that no bag squeezing jelly sticklers…
 
Blueberry Jelly on Spoon
 
At this point, you should have 4 cups of strained blueberry juice.  If you’re just a smidge under, try adding a small amount of water or another fruit juice.  (Or even a splash of sweet white wine, though that’ll take the jelly in a slightly boozy direction.)
 
If for some reason you’re a lot under, consider reducing the recipe. 
 
Pour the strained juice into a clean saucepan and bring it to a full rolling boil.  Add the powdered boxed pectin and whisk to completely dissolve the pectin.  Maintain a hard boil for a full minute.
 
After a minute at a hard boil with the pectin/juice mixture, add the sugar and stir to dissolve.  (This is important, don’t add the sugar at the start or the mixture won’t gel.)
 
Return the juice/pectin/sugar mixture to a full rolling boil and cook for 1 minute more.
 
Turn off the heat and ladle the mixture into prepared jars.  A full “batch” should make 4-5 jars of blueberry jelly (8 oz).
 
Blueberry Jelly

Low Sugar Blueberry Jelly

The ratio of sugar to juice in this recipe is 1:1, which is required to get standard boxed pectin to gel properly.  If you’re used to full-sugar jams and jellies then that’s likely to your taste. 
 
If that sounds like a lot, no worries, you can reduce the sugar in this recipe provided you use low sugar pectin. 
 
I used to use Pomona’s Pectin for making low sugar jellies, and it’s incredibly versatile.  Everything’s done in teaspoon measurements, which allows you a good bit of flexibility in batch sizes (instead of full 1 box batches as with Sure-Jell).
 
The problem with Pomona’s is that the set is a bit more like jello gelatin than a true “jelly” in my opinion.
 
Recently I’ve started using Sure-Jell Low Sugar Pectin, and I much prefer the results.  You can use this exact same recipe, substituting a whole box of the low sugar pectin in place of the standard pectin.
 
At that point, you can reduce the sugar as much as you’d like (or use honey/maple instead).  I’d suggest trying 2 cups sugar to 4 cups juice for a totally reasonable sweetness level.  You can go as low as 1 cup sugar for a very low sugar jelly if you like too.
 
(Note that if you do choose to use Pomona’s pectin, the directions are a bit more involved and you’ll need to add ingredients in a different order.  Follow the directions on Pomona’s package, or read through this recipe on Pomona’s website which walks you through it.
 
Blueberry Jelly Texture

The finished texture of blueberry jelly is more or less the same when you use Sure-Jell Low Sugar pectin (as compared to full-sugar), but the yield is lower. Using Pomona’s pectin, the texture will be different (less smooth/spreadable).

Blueberry Jelly with Liquid Pectin

Just to provide all the options, I’ll cover blueberry jelly with liquid pectin.  I don’t like this option, because liquid pectin requires ABSURD amounts of sugar to properly gel.  You’ll need 7 cups of sugar to 4 cups of juice.

If using liquid pectin, go ahead and add the juice and sugar into a pan together.  Liquid pectin is added last, as opposed to boxed pectin which must be added before the sugar.

After the juice/sugar come to a full boil, add in the liquid pectin and return to a boil for 1 minute before pouring into prepared jars.

Canning Blueberry Jelly

This recipe works perfectly fine as a refrigerator or freezer jelly.  It will last several weeks in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.  Canning is completely optional. 
 
I personally prefer canning my preserves, as it frees up freezer/refrigerator space, and allows me to enjoy the tastes of summer in the middle of our long Vermont winter.
 
If you are canning blueberry jelly, be sure to use canning approved jars and 2 part canning lids.  Prepare a water bath canner before you start making the jelly (after you’ve juiced the blueberries, but before cooking the jelly).
 
Fill the jars with the hot jelly, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Cap with 2 part canning lids and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
 
If you’re not familiar with canning, I’d suggest reading my beginner’s guide to water bath canning getting started.
 
Canning Blueberry Jelly

Ways to Preserve Blueberries

Looking for more ways to preserve blueberries?

Homemade Blueberry Jelly
Yield: Makes 4-5 half pint (8 oz) jars

Blueberry Jelly

Prep Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Canning Time (Optional): 10 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Blueberry jelly is a silky smooth homemade preserve bursting with fresh blueberry flavor.

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)
  • Lemon Juice (optional, see notes)

Instructions

Extracting Blueberry Juice

  1. To extract blueberry juice from fresh blueberries, place them in a saucepan with 1 cup of water per quart of fruit. (This recipe requires 4 quarts of berries and 4 cups water.)
  2. Slowly bring the mixture up to a simmer, mashing the berries as they cook.
  3. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, until the berries have completely fallen apart and released their juices.
  4. Strain the fruit through a jelly bag or a colander lined with a double-thick layer of cheesecloth. Allow the bag to drain for at least 2 hours, squeezing if necessary to extract more juice.
  5. This should yield 4 cups juice. If you have extra, save it for other uses. If you're short, make up the difference with another fruit juice (ie. apple, cranberry, etc) or reduce the recipe.


Making Blueberry Jelly

  1. Prepare jars & lids. If canning, preheat a water bath canner.
  2. Place 4 cups of strained blueberry juice into a jam pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and add one box of powdered pectin. Whisk to incorporate and fully dissolve the pectin.
  3. Boil the pectin/juice mixture for 1 minute before adding sugar.
  4. Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve.
  5. Return to a boil and cook 1 minute before lading into prepared jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
  6. If canning, process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
  7. For a refrigerator or freezer jelly, allow the mixture to cool completely on the counter before storing in the refrigerator or freezer.

Notes

Lemon Juice - Adding lemon juice is optional, as blueberries are acidic enough on their own for jelly. The added acidity will help balance the sweetness of the sugar, and lemon goes nicely with blueberry anyway. If you choose to add lemon juice, I'd recommend somewhere between 1 tablespoon and 1/4 cup. Add the lemon juice in with the blueberry juice during the jelly making phase.

Low Sugar Variation - For a low sugar blueberry jelly, substitute low sugar pectin such as Sure-Jell Low Sugar, Mrs. Wages Low Sugar or Ball Low Sugar powdered pectin. The sugar can then be reduced but I'd suggest adding at least 1 cup to 4 cups juice. (You can also substitute honey or maple, though they'll really compete with the fresh blueberry flavor.)

If using Pomona's Low Sugar pectin, follow their directions on the package, as there are 2 parts to that pectin and the order of addition is different than with standard powdered pectin.

Liquid Pectin Variation - I don't recommend liquid pectin because it requires exorbitant amounts of sugar to gel properly. That said, if you'd like to make this recipe with liquid pectin use 2 pouches of pectin and increase the sugar to 7 cups (with 4 cups juice).

This recipe can be made with purchased blueberry juice, or with juice extracted from fresh fruit.

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© Ashley Adamant

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Looking for more tasty jelly recipes?  I’ve got you covered…

Blueberry Jelly has got to be the tastiest way to preserve blueberries!

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Comments

  3. 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!

    Reply

  4. 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.

    Reply

  5. 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.

    Reply

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

      Reply

  6. 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.

    Reply

      • 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.

        Reply

        • 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.

          Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

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