Every year we forage dewberries which are a wild blackberry that grows in our area. We try to pick enough to last the entire year. We freeze some of the berries and we make a super easy dewberry jam recipe to give as gifts and to enjoy ourselves. This same method can be used to make blackberry jam or really any berry jam you wan to make.

Before we get to blackberry jam recipe, let’s chat a moment about the differences between jams, jellies, butter, and preserves and about safe canning practices.

Here’s a quick rundown on the differences between jams, jellies, fruit butter, and preserves.

• Jelly is made with just the fruit juice, so it’s nice and clear, plus sugar (or honey) and pectin (either boxes or from other fruit)
• Jam is like jelly but made with the whole fruit not just the juice, plus sugar (or honey) and pectin (either boxes or from other fruit)
• Fruit butter is made with the whole fruit and sugar (or other sweetener) and is blended until it’s smooth but not pectin
• Fruit preserves are the whole fruit but chunky instead of smooth with sugar (or other sweetener) and no pectin.

No Pectin Dewberry Jam Recipe

My berry jam recipe is really more of a fruit preserve because I don’t use pectin but normally when you make preserves  you would leave the berries whole and I mash the berries. We call it jam but it’s a runny jam so if you want to call it blackberry preserves that’s just fine.

In order for jams and jellies to gel you need to use a combination of pectin (either from a box or from unripe fruit), sugar, acid, and time. You’ll read over and over that it’s best not to deviate from a tested recipe or try to double the recipe when making jam or jelly. And that’s true but it’s not a safety issue, it’s a gelling issue. 

It’s not the sugar that preserves the jam or jelly, it’s the properly water bath processing that preserves it and makes it shelf stable.

Instead of processing this blackberry jam for 5 minutes (if using sterilized jars) or 10 minutes (if using unsterilized jars)  I process them for 15 minutes for half-pints and pints like I would for canning whole berries. You normally wouldn’t want to process jam or jelly longer than recommended because the pectin could break down and make the jam runny – but this blackberry jam is already a bit runny, so it doesn’t matter.

To make the blackberry jam I combine 12 quarts blackberries and 6 cups sugar. You can add more sugar if you like it sweeter; just add a little at a time until its the right flavor for you. You could also use honey or maple syrup but those will change the flavor of the jam so don’t add too much.

Use an immersion blender or  bean masher to break up the berries.

Cook down the jam over low heat until it’s the consistency you want. I put a glass plate in the freezer to use to test the consistency of the blackberry jam. To test the consistency drop a small amount on the cold late and watch for it to set up. If it’s not as firm as you like, simmer it longer. But it won’t ever be as firm as blackberry jam made with pectin and lots of sugar.

While the jam is simmering, go ahead and get the jars ready. Technically if you’re processing for longer than 10 minutes you don’t have to use sterilized jars but I still sterilize jars for jam and jelly. I bring them to a boil in water with just a little splash of white vinegar (this helps keep your jars pretty if you have hard water).

I like to use my roasting pan as a water bath canner for short half pint jars. Any stockpot will do, the water needs to be able to be at least an inch above the jars.

While the jars are sterilizing, wash and rinse the lids.

Remove the empty jars from the water bath canner and fill them with the hot blackberry jam leaving a 1/4″ headspace.

Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth and put he lids and bands on the jars.

Put the jars of blackberry jam back into the water bath canner and make sure there’s at least 1″ of water covering the jars. Process for 15 minutes. Here are some tips for using a water bath canner if you need a bit of help.

After 15 minutes pull them out and let them cool. You’ll hear popping sounds as they cool and lids seal. When the jars have completely cooled remove the bands and check the seals. If one didn’t seal just put it in the refrigerator and use it first.

Store the sealed jars in the pantry or wherever you store your home preserved food. Here are some tips to help you store your home canned food properly.

I like to keep track of all our home preserved food with these worksheets. You can get them emailed to you by filling out the form below.

Thanks for sharing with your friends!