• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Waiting for Blancmange
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    • Close up image of using a large metal spoon to scoop out blackberry apple crisp from a cast iron skillet. There are a couple of scoops of ice cream on top.
      Blackberry Apple Crisp
    • Overhead close up shot of a cardamom cinnamon roll drizzled in vanilla glaze and sprinkled with pearl sugar.
      Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls
    • Close up image of gooey blackberry cinnamon roll with blackberry cream cheese frosting. The roll has been ripped in half showing the blackberry filling and fluffy brioche roll.
      Blackberry Cinnamon Rolls
    • Stack of three yellow squash muffins sat on a white marble countertop. The top muffin has a bite taken out of it, showing the inside. In the background is a wire cooling rack with more muffins.
      Yellow Squash Muffins
    • Close up image of a zucchini cinnamon roll, torn in half to reveal the inside grated zucchini and cinnamon. The roll is topped with a vanilla glaze and sat on a piece of parchment paper in front of the rest of the rolls.
      Zucchini Cinnamon Rolls
    • Close up of Biscoff Banana bread with chocolate chips, which has been sliced to show the inside of the bread.
      Biscoff Banana Bread
    • Overhead image of cinnamon sugar blondies with cream cheese frosting piped over the top.
      Cinnamon Sugar Blondies
    • Bowl of cherry blueberry cobbler with a spoon in the bowl and a bite removed. There is a scoop of ice cream on top.
      Cherry Blueberry Cobbler
    • A cone of cinnamon roll ice cream with cinnamon swirl and edible cinnamon roll cookie dough bites. The cone is being held in a glass jar. In the background is a pan full of the remaining ice cream.
      No Churn Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream
    • A jar of vibrant red homemade cherry curd. There is a spoon held above the jar showing off some of the glossy creamy curd as it drips back into the jar.
      Cherry Curd
    • Close up of a gooey Cookie Monster cinnamon roll with a bite taken out of it. The roll is sat on a white marble work surface with the remaining cinnamon rolls in the background.
      Cookie Monster Cinnamon Rolls
    • A close up of an Oreo cheesecake brownie with a bite taken out of it. The brownie layer is gooey and fudgy while the cheesecake layer is creamy.
      Oreo Cheesecake Brownies
    Home » Recipes » Jams and Spreads

    Quick Small Batch Blueberry Jam without Pectin

    Published: Feb 14, 2022 · Modified: Aug 13, 2022 by Liz Mincin · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy three ingredient blueberry jam without pectin. This perfect small batch blueberry jam with lemon zest.

    Shiny spoonful of glossy small batch blueberry jam without pectin.

    Ingredients for Blueberry Jam with Lemon

    This simple jam recipe without pectin is only 3 ingredients:

    1. Blueberries - use either fresh or frozen blueberries for an easy jam.
    2. Sugar - granulated sugar or caster sugar work best in this recipe.
    3. Lemon juice and zest. Including citrus in jam helps to increase the natural pectin in the mixture. You can opt to make blueberry jam without lemon and use orange instead. Orange blueberry jam will have a subtle change in flavour, but is one of my preferred substitutes.
    Three ingredients for blueberry jam without pectin.

    How to make No Pectin Blueberry Jam

    Jam is so simple, but I know it can be nerve wracking. The key is a bit of patience, a deep sided pot and an instant read thermometer.

    All you need to do is place all ingredients - the fresh (or defrosted frozen) blueberries, the sugar and the citrus juice - into the pot. Start cooking over a medium heat. Stir occasionally so that all of your fruit is getting coated in the sugar as this dissolves.

    Continue heating until the mixture becomes a sauce and begins boiling. Keep an eye on the jam until it reaches about 220°F (105C). This is the traditional temperature for jam setting and should yield a thickened fruit jelly once cool.

    Fresh blueberries, sugar, lemon juice in a saucepan.
    Berry jam heated in a pot, steaming fresh from the stove top.

    How to thicken blueberry jam

    So thickening jam is a notorious problem. It can be especially difficult without pectin, which acts as a thickening agent for many typical store bought jams.

    This jam, without pectin is on the softer side of setting, but is nonetheless spreadable and delicious!

    If you're worried that your jam is not thick enough, the simple answer is cook it longer. Even if you've already removed this from the heat to cool, you can return it to the pan and to the heat. Be careful though, re-heating the jam can quickly lead to over-thick and sticky jam (almost like a candy).

    Things to Make with Blueberry Jam

    Now that you've got a small batch of this delicious blueberry spread, you might be wondering what to make with blueberry jam?

    Well, the options are really limitless - use this jam as a spread for toast, mix in to yoghurt or top some overnight oats.

    Some other ideas:

    • Blueberry Panna Cotta - simply top a vanilla or honey panna cotta with a healthy spoonful of blueberry jam.
    • Use in layering a Strawberry Blueberry Shortcake - my easy trifle style recipe is perfect for using fresh fruits and jams.
    • Create an easy Blueberry Buttercream, by mixing a couple of tablespoons into a classic vanilla American Buttercream. Use added powdered sugar and vanilla to adjust the texture.
    • Blueberry Cheesecake - blueberry jam makes a fantastic topping to cheesecake, especially a New York style baked cheesecake.

    FAQs

    Can I make jam with frozen blueberries?

    Yes, absolutely! I know that frozen blueberries are often more accessible. In the case of making a blueberry jam, you can easily use frozen if you have these on hand or fresh aren't available. Simply allow the frozen berries to defrost first, before carrying on with the recipe as usual.

    Do I have to use lemon?

    No, if you don't like lemon or don't have one available, you can substitute with other citrus fruits for a similar effect. I'd recommend blueberry jam with orange as the best alternative.

    Do I need pectin for blueberry jam?

    No! You don't have to use pectin for blueberry jam. While pectin is a useful agent for helping jam to set more firmly, this recipe will produce a quick small batch of blueberry jam, with no added pectin. The result is a deep purple jam, slightly zesty from the lemon.

    If you like this recipe, try some other small batch spreads:

    • Small Batch Strawberry Jam
    • Easy Blood Orange Curd
    • Blackberry Bay Jam
    • Cherry Jam
    Shiny spoonful of glossy small batch blueberry jam without pectin.

    Small Batch Blueberry Jam [no pectin]

    Liz Mincin
    Easy three ingredient recipe for small batch blueberry jam with lemon.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Cooling 2 hours hrs
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 tablespoons
    Calories 140 kcal

    Equipment

    • instant read thermometer

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen, defrosted
    • 1¼ cup granulated sugar or caster sugar
    • 1 lemon juiced and zested (zest is optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Place the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and zest (if using) in a deep sided saucepan over a medium heat.
    • Stirring occasionally, heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the blueberries begin to release their juices.
    • Allow the mixture to boil and continue cooking until it reaches 220°F (105C) on an instant read thermometer.
    • Remove from the heat and pour into a large shallow heat proof dish to cool quickly. Or pour directly into a bowl or jar. Allow to cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 37.4gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gPotassium: 19mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 36.3gCalcium: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @waitingforblancmange or tag #waitingforblancmange!

    More Jams and Spreads

    • A jar of blueberry curd sat on a counter top with a spoon dipped in the deep purple curd being held above the jar.
      Blueberry Curd
    • Fresh cranberry sauce with orange juice, served in a white dish with a small spoon.
      Easy Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice
    • Spoon of glossy homemade passion fruit curd.
      Easy Passion Fruit Curd Recipe
    • Spoonful of small batch quick pink grapefruit curd.
      Easy Pink Grapefruit Curd Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Image of Liz Mincin blogger and recipe developer behind Waiting for Blancmange.

    Hi, I'm Liz! I'm an American expat in the UK, with over 20 years experience baking and creating desserts. Taught tricks and tips by my mother and grandmothers, I'm sharing recipes and baking tips from my Italian American and Southern roots, along with a few British staples picked up from my time living across various regions in the UK.

    More about me →

    Plan a Weekend Brunch!

    • Close up image of using an offset spatula to frost chai latte icing over top of a pan of fresh baked chai cinnamon rolls.
      Chai Cinnamon Rolls
    • Super soft vanilla bean cinnamon rolls.
      Vanilla Bean Cinnamon Rolls
    • Close up of a soft and fluffy Biscoff cinnamon roll.
      Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls
    • Slice of almond streusel coffee cake.
      Easy Almond Streusel Coffee Cake with Amaretto

    Recipes for a Summer Barbecue

    • Layered blueberry strawberry shortcake trifle showing custard, whipped cream, fruit and cakes.
      Blueberry Strawberry Shortcake - A Family-Sized, Layered Take on the Classic
    • Seven layered chocolate cake, reminiscent of the smith island cake. Thin vanilla cake layers stacked with chocolate fudge frosting.
      Seven Layer Chocolate Cake
    • Three edible cookie dough cones on a bright yellow backdrop. Each topped with melted chocolate and sprinkles, with some chocolate chips and sprinkles alongside.
      Edible Cookie Dough Cones
    • Loaf tin full of no churn ice cream mixed with bits of coffee walnut cake, four scoops made and two with waffle cones sticking out.
      No-Churn Cake Filled Ice Cream

    Featured In:

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Waiting for Blancmange