Small Batch Canning Blackberry Jam Recipe
Love blackberries? You will enjoy this blackberry jam recipe. It’s a small batch, meaning it makes half the jars of a normal recipe, allowing you to make a variety of other jam recipes to fill your pantry. We also make a pectin free blackberry jam.
Can I Use Whole Fruit to Make Blackberry Jam?
You can, but if you are doing a small batch, the FreshTek machine will not breakdown the berries enough to make it into jam. You will be left with chunky jam. Use a food processor or blender to chop up the berries so you can enjoy this delicious jam.
Do I Measure the Berries or After Chopping?
You need to measure the blackberries once they are chopped. The volume significantly changes once you chop them. They reduce in volume once chopped.
Why Do You Add Butter to Jam?
Adding butter to jam helps with the foam that happens on the jam while it boils. It is reduced or eliminated completely. If you do have foam on your jam, you can skim it off before canning.
Can You Reduce the Amount of Sugar in the Jam?
You can, but you will need to also use low sugar pectin and increase the amount of berries to replace the sugar you are removing. You also may find that the jam won’t set because you changed the recipe.
Can You Make Blackberry Jelly?
You will need a food mill to remove all the seeds from the blackberries to make jelly. Or you will need to take a mesh strainer and push all the berries thru it to remove the seeds.
Why Is My Jam Runny?
There are many reasons why your jam may not have set.
The jam could have been processed to long. The measurements for sugar and berries could be incorrect. Not enough pectin used and making multiple batches at one time.
You can try to save the jam by heating up and bringing to a boil quickly. Then place in jars again and water bath can again and see if the jam thickens.
Can You Make Jam With Frozen Fruit?
Yes, but read on. You will need to thaw the frozen blackberries in order to begin canning with the jam/jelly maker as the time is based on thawed fruit. Using frozen berries, the fruit will not come to a rolling boil. This could also prevent the jam from setting properly.
How Much Homemade Jam Does This Recipe Make?
This blackberry jam recipe makes 4-5 pints. We also use a mix of half pint and pint jars as some is given as gifts.
Does This Recipe Use Lemon Juice?
No, we use pectin in this recipe to make this homemade jam recipe instead of lemon juice.
What Can I Do if My Jam Did Not Set?
Within 24 hours, you can try to water bath the jam again to get it to set. If it doesn’t it is still ok to use, it would also be great over ice cream, in ice cream and served on pastries.
Canning Blackberry Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 1/3 cups sugar
- 2 2/3 cups crushed blackberry (volume based on crushed not whole berries)
- 1/2 teaspoon butter
- 3 Tablespoons pectin
Instructions
- With a blender/food processor, crush the blackberries. You will measure the blackberries based on crushed volume, not whole volume.
- Place the pectin evenly around the inside of the automatic jam/jelly maker, confirming the stirrer is in the maker.
- Add the crushed blackberries and butter.
- Press the Jam and the Enter buttons on the maker, confirming the time is set to 21 minutes.
- After 4 minutes the maker will beep, indicating it's time to add the sugar. Pour the sugar into the mix and place the cover on top.
- The maker will do all the work and stir the mix.
- Ensure the seals and jars are ready to go and that you have the funnel, ladle and bands.
- You will also want to have a wet sterile paper towel to clean the rim of the jars after filling.
- Once complete, the maker will beep again when it is complete.
- Remove the stirrer with a pot holder and set aside.
- Begin filling each jar with the ladle and jar funnel. Leave 1 inch headspace (that is top from the jar) when filling.
- Clean off each jar rim to ensure there is no jam to keep the jar from sealing.
- Place a sterile seal/lid on top of each jar and hand tighten the band over the jar to secure the lid.
- Place the jars of jam into water bath and process for 10 minutes..
- Remove from the water bath and allow to cool and seal.
- Date and label the jars, so you know what it is
Video
Notes
Tips for Canning Blackberry Jam
- Want to use less sugar, use 3 1/4 cups berries and 2 cups sugar instead (also use low sugar pectin for it to set)
- Make sure you measure the berries crushed and not whole, or you will not have the correct ratios to make jam
- While the blackberry jam is processing, get everything around you need for the next steps
- It takes about 30 minutes (or so) to make a batch of jam
- Wash your berries before you start
- Adding butter helps reduce the foaming, you may need to skim foam if there is still foam
- You absolutely need a pot holder to remove the paddle, that area is hot, so use caution!
- The maker is going to be hot as well, it was just holding the 'pot' of hot jam, so unplug and allow it to cool
