Name: Homemade Blackberry Jam Recipe (Low-Sugar+ Canning Instructions)
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3 cups blackberries (freshly picked, or frozen and thawed); 1 box Pomona's Pectin; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1 cup white grape juice from concentrate (You can use any juice from concentrate you like for different flavor profiles)

If you’re looking for a simple way to preserve blackberries, this four-ingredient low-sugar blackberry jam recipe (with optional canning instructions) is the perfect place to start. You’ll learn how to make a flavorful jam that highlights the berries without using loads of sugar, plus step-by-step directions for safely water bath canning it so you can stock your pantry with jars of homemade jam to enjoy all year long.

Don't miss my other jam recipes like strawberry jam without pectin (low-sugar recipe), no-sugar strawberry jam, this blueberry jam recipe (without pectin), old-fashioned apple pie jam, sweet yet tart strawberry rhubarb jam, and this cherry jam recipe.

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Quick Look at This Recipe

✅ Recipe Name: Blackberry Jam Recipe (Low-Sugar)
🕒 Ready In: ~35 minutes
👪 Yield: 2 pints (can be scaled up)
🍽 Calories:
🥄 Tools: Pot, spoon or spatula, canning jars and lids, and water bath canner (canning tools are also helpful).
❄️ Freezer Friendly: Yes! If you'd like to make freezer jam instead of canning this recipe, just place the cooled jam into freezer-proof containers, label and date and then freeze!
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Delicious, lower in sugar than store-bought options, an easy-to-follow recipe and perfect on top of your morning toast or biscuit!
👩‍🍳 Tip: Make sure to use Pomona's Pectin for this low-sugar jam recipe to make sure you're following safe and tested canning instructions.

Pro Tip: Frozen berries that are thawed release their juice easier than fresh berries. Which is a plus during the busy hot harvest months. If you're pressed for time, freeze your berries until things calm down.Melissa

Ingredients & Supplies

For a full list of ingredients and measurements, check out the recipe card below.

Blackberries - One of the best parts about this recipe is that frozen berries that have been thawed work best! Don't worry about heating up your house in the dead of summer, just pick, wash and freeze your blackberries until you're ready to make jam in the fall.
Pomona's Pectin - This is the only store-bought pectin I use. Not only is Pomona's Pectin a natural pectin that can be used without added sugar, but it also doesn't contain any GMO ingredients. You won't need to use the whole box of pectin. Follow the instructions that come with it to make your calcium water and to know how much pectin and calcium water to use if you scale this recipe up.
Juice - I'm using white grape juice (from concentrate) in this recipe, but any juice from concentrate will do! I know some people who love to use pear juice, or even orange juice, to slightly change the flavor profile of the jam. I find white grape juice is as mild as possible to let the blackberry flavors shine. If you think your jam isn't sweet enough, you can add about 1/4 cup of organic sugar to the recipe.

How to Make Blackberry Jam

Step 1: In a large stainless steel or enamelware pot, add your washed berries (I like to slightly crush mine with a potato masher).

Lemon juice being added to a pot of blackberries.

Step 2: Turn the heat to medium and add lemon juice and grape juice to the pot.

Blackberry jam being pureed with an immersion blender.

Step 3: Follow the instructions that came with your Pomona's Pectin to make the calcium water. Then, add two teaspoons of calcium water to the berries and stir until combined.

Step 4: Sprinkle two teaspoons of powdered pectin over the berries, then use an immersion blender to blend until the pectin until it's fully dissolved.

Blackberry jam being spooned into a Mason jar.

Step 5: Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the jam is slightly thickened.

Step 6: At this point, the jam can be spooned into a jar and left to cool for 24 hours before being transferred to the refrigerator or freezer.

Pro-Tip: If freezing in glass jars, make sure to use wide-mouth, straight-sided jars with at least one-inch headspace so they don't crack when the jam expands.

Canning Instructions

Headspace being measured for a jar of blackberry jam.

Step 7: Carefully remove the jars from the canner and dump the water out into the canner. Then, ladle the jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Jars of blackberry jam in a water bath canner.

Step 8: Remove air bubbles with a bubble wand or chopstick, adding more jam if needed to stay at the 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean (and check with a clean finger for any nicks or chips), put the lid in place and fasten the ring down to fingertip tight.

Step 9: Place the jar into the canner and repeat until all jars are filled.

A hand lifting out jars of blackberry jam from a water bath canner.

Step 10: Bring the water to a full boil and process for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the burner and remove the lid for 5 minutes. Then, using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars and set them on a towel-lined draft-free counter to cool for 24 hours.

Step 11: After 24 hours, check seals, remove bands, wipe down the jars, label lids and put them on the pantry shelf.

Recipe Tips

Blackberry Jelly - For a smoother jelly (that doesn't contain seeds), you can strain the jam through a food mill before adding it to your jars for canning.
Freezer Jam - If you'd rather not go through the canning process, you can make the jam, allow it to cool at room temperature for 24 hours, then transfer it to the refrigerator (for up to one month) or the freezer (for up to a year). If freezing in glass, be sure to use a straight-sided Mason jar, leaving at least 1 inch headspace to allow for expansion.
Pectin-Free Option - I share how to use a grated apple for your pectin source in my blueberry jam recipe. If you don't have any Pomona's Pectin, you can use 1/4 cup grated apple. If you'd like to leave the pectin out altogether, you'll just need to cook your jam longer until it thickens up to a gel stage (around 220°F). You can test if your jam is done by placing a spoon in the freezer, then dipping the cold spoon into the jam. If the jam comes off in a sheet, it's ready to can, but if it drips off in multiple drips, it needs to cook down further.

Ways to Enjoy Blackberry Jam

There are countless ways to enjoy blackberry jam (assuming you're not just taking huge bites right off the spoon! Hey, no judgment here!). Try spreading it on these homemade buttermilk biscuits or Great-Grandma's sour cream biscuit recipe.

I also happen to love using blackberry jam filling in my homemade Pop-Tarts! What's your favorite way to use blackberry jam? Let me know in the comments!

Blueberry Jam Recipe Without Pectin (+ Low-Sugar)

Strawberry Jam Without Pectin (Low Sugar Recipe)

Apple Pie Jam Low Sugar Recipe

Cherry Jam Recipe Without Pectin and Low Sugar

Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a star ⭐ rating and your comments in the recipe card below. Then, snap a photo of your homemade blackberry jam and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see!

📖 Recipe

Homemade Blackberry Jam Recipe (Low-Sugar+ Canning Instructions)

Melissa Norris

Make my easy low-sugar blackberry jam recipe with step-by-step water bath canning instructions. Delicious homemade jam without loads of sugar!

3.86 from 21 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 15

Canning Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Condiment

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 32 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups blackberries freshly picked, or frozen and thawed
▢ 1 box Pomona's Pectin
▢ 1/4 cup lemon juice
▢ 1 cup white grape juice from concentrate You can use any juice from concentrate you like for different flavor profiles

Instructions

Canning Note

If canning, wash jars in hot soapy water, rinse, and place them in your prepared water bath canner. Fill the canner with water so jars are completely covered by 1 inch. Turn the heat to medium, so the water is roughly 180 degrees F.

For the Jam

In a large stainless steel or enamelware pot, add your washed berries (I like to slightly crush mine with a potato masher).
Turn the heat to medium and add grape juice to the pot.
Follow the instructions that came with your Pomona's Pectin to make the calcium water. Then, add two teaspoons of calcium water to the berries and stir until combined.
Sprinkle two teaspoons of powdered pectin over the berries, then use an immersion blender to blend until the pectin until it's fully dissolved.
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the jam is slightly thickened.
At this point, the jam can be spooned into a jar and placed in the refrigerator to be enjoyed immediately, stored in a freezer-safe container as freezer jam, or follow the canning instructions below. Pro-Tip: If freezing in glass jars, make sure to use wide-mouth, straight-sided jars with at least one-inch headspace so they don't crack when the jam expands.

Canning Instructions

Carefully remove the jars from the canner and dump the water out into the canner. Then, ladle the jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Remove air bubbles with a bubble wand or chopstick, adding more jam if needed to stay at the 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean (and check with a clean finger for any nicks or chips), put the lid in place and fasten the ring down to fingertip tight.
Place the jar into the canner and repeat until all jars are filled.
Bring the water to a full boil and process for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn off the burner and remove the lid for 5 minutes. Then, using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars and set them on a towel-lined draft-free counter to cool for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, check seals, remove bands, wipe down the jars, label lids and put them on the pantry shelf.

Notes

Recipe yields, on average, two pints (or four half-pints) of finished jam.

Blackberry Jelly - For a smoother jelly (that doesn't contain seeds), you can strain the jam through a food mill before adding it to your jars for canning.
Freezer Jam - If you'd rather not go through the canning process, you can make the jam, allow it to cool at room temperature for 24 hours, then transfer it to the refrigerator (for up to one month) or the freezer (for up to a year). If freezing in glass, be sure to use a straight-sided Mason jar, leaving at least 1 inch headspace to allow for expansion.
Pectin-Free Option - I share how to use a grated apple for your pectin source in my blueberry jam recipe. If you don't have any Pomona's Pectin, you can use 1/4 cup grated apple. If you'd like to leave the pectin out altogether, you'll just need to cook your jam longer until it thickens up to a gel stage (around 220°F). You can test if your jam is done by placing a spoon in the freezer, then dipping the cold spoon into the jam. If the jam comes off in a sheet, it's ready to can, but if it drips off in multiple drips, it needs to cook down further.

Nutrition

Serving: 4TablespoonsCalories: 32kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 0.5gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 7mgPotassium: 64mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 59IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.3mg

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Howdy, I'm Melissa!

I’m so glad you're here. This is the place for all of us who loved Little House when we were young and thought Laura was our best friend. It's where we grow dinner in the backyard and think everything looks and tastes better when it comes from a Mason jar. Here, you'll find my favorite from-scratch recipes, herbal remedies and tutorials, and all my gardening tips from my 20+ years of growing and raising our own food.