Name: Blueberry Low Sugar Jam
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 8 cups fresh blueberries; 1 cup lemon or lime juice; 1 - 2 cups honey or 1 1/2 - 4 cups sugar; 1 box Pomona's pectin

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Blueberry low sugar jam is made without all the added sugar of most jams! It’s all-natural, vegan, and perfectly jelled as jam should be. Learn how to make it, how to can it, and what ingredient to use so it will be shelf stable even with the low amount of sugar.

If you are familiar with any of my recipes, I always try to use less sugar and more natural sweeteners. So, when I was looking for a jam recipe that didn’t have 10 cups of sugar (maybe I’m exaggerating a bit) I was disappointed that all the low sugar recipes said they weren’t safe for canning.

Another potential issue with low sugar jam is that it won’t jell well. This is because regular store bought pectin used in classic jam recipes is activated by large amounts of sugar.

I’m actually relieved that regular store bought pectin won’t work for blueberry low sugar jam because it’s not known for being all-natural. Regular pectin, such as the Ball brand or Sure-Jell, contains dextrose (a form of sugar). The liquid type also contains sodium benzoate, a preservative.

So I decided to do my research into how I could make an all-natural, low sugar jam that would actually last more than a couple of weeks. I found a great solution.

Why Isn’t Low Sugar Jam Normally Safe for Canning?

Sugar acts as a preservative, which is why jam traditionally contains a lot of it. Without the sugar, the fruit in the jam decays more quickly. This means it won’t stay preserved on your pantry shelf.

This frustrated me because I wanted a way to make blueberry jam with freshly picked blueberries in the summer and be able to enjoy it come winter. And I didn’t want to ruin that farm fresh fruit with pounds of sugar.

How Is It Possible to Make Blueberry Low Sugar Jam That Is All-Natural and Safe For Canning?

Luckily, I found a wonderful product called Pomona’s Pectin that is perfect for blueberry low sugar jam. Here’s why:

Pomona’s pectin actually works best in a low-sugar mixture. It will only dissolve if the mixture contains lower amounts of sugar.
The pectin contains only 100% pure citrus pectin. It’s vegan, gluten free and GMO free. And it doesn’t have any added preservatives, sugar, dextrose, etc.
With Pomona’s pectin, jam stays good for up to 1 year on the shelf and up to 3 weeks once opened and refrigerated.
You can use several different types of natural sweeteners with this pectin, such as honey, agave, turbinado sugar and coconut sugar. Specific instructions are on their website for using sweeteners other than honey and granulated sugar.

I want to make it clear that I am not being compensated in any way by Pomona’s Universal Pectin. I’m just super happy that I found a way to make my jam with less sugar!

honey blueberry jam jars half pint kerr low sugar pomona pectin

Tips for Making Blueberry Low Sugar Jam

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

1 box of Pomona’s pectin will make at least 2 large batches of jam.
I bought a 3 box pack of pectin (link below) which is more cost effective. Pomona’s Pectin website says that it lasts indefinitely, so you don’t need to worry about it going bad before you can use it.
Each box of Pomona’s pectin comes with 2 packets: the large packet is full of pectin powder and the small packet contains calcium powder.
You use the calcium powder to make calcium water. When the calcium water and pectin mix, the calcium activates the pectin

Tools You Will Need

Medium or large saucepan

Ingredients You Will Need

This basic recipe comes from the instructions provided with each box of Pomona’s pectin.

Small Batch (4 half-pints)

4 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed

1/2 to 1 cup honey or 3/4 cup to 2 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice

1 box Pomona’s Pectin

Large Batch (6 half-pints + 1 pint)

8 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed

1 to 2 cups honey or 1 1/2 to 4 cups sugar

1 cup lemon or lime juice

1 box Pomona’s Pectin

How to Make Blueberry Low Sugar Jam

These basic instructions are provided with each box of Pomona’s pectin.

To begin, wash and rinse jars ahead of time. Then, put in dishwasher on a sanitize cycle to keep hot until ready to use. Bring lids to simmer in small saucepan; turn off heat; let stand in hot water. Wash screw bands; set aside.
Next, prepare the calcium water. Put 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder and 1/2 cup water in a lidded jar. Shake well.
Then, prepare fruit. To begin, measure the blueberries into saucepan. Mash to desired consistency. Add lemon or lime juice.
Add proper amount of calcium water into pan; stir well.
Now, measure the sugar or room temperature honey into separate bowl. Thoroughly mix proper amount of pectin powder into honey or sugar.
Bring fruit to a full boil. Add pectin/sweetener mixture. Next, stir vigorously 1-2 minutes to dissolve pectin while mixture returns to a full boil. Then, remove from heat.
Finally, fill jars to 1/4″ of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on lids and rings. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down.