I spotted this recipe for blueberry jam with mint last winter and have been waiting until I had enough blueberries to make a batch. Well yesterday was my lucky day!!!
This jam is the kind of thing you’d find in a specialty food store {like Oakville Grocery in Napa, California} for $15 a jar. Yumm a licous does not even begin to describe it.
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh blueberries
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 6-inch sprigs of mint
Directions
Bring a boiling-water canner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer. Wash jars {I used wide mouth pint jars} and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
Combine the blueberries and water in a 5-quart nonreactive pan. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce the heat a fast simmer and cook uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Stir in the lemon juice and sugar. Bring the mixture to a slow boil and let it cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mixture coats the back of a metal spoon.
Now for the exciting part! Pour the berry mixture into a 2-quart, heat-resistant, glass bowl {I used a giant mixing bowl}. Tie the mint sprigs together with bakers twine and place them in the jam. Slowly submerge the mint and and gently crush it along the sides of the container of the glass bowl to release the oils. Let the crushed mint steep for about 5 minutes.
Remove and throw away the mint, and then ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands on. Place jars on elevated rack in a canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.}
Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After the jars have cooled, check the seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary. Yields 3 pints or 6 1/2 pints.
See More of my Canning Recipes HERE
Looking for a few more awesome canning recipes? Check out Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Need a canner? I used the Granite Ware 11-1/2 Quart Covered Preserving Canner with Rack
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paula wilson says
Hi Mavis,
Your directions said to add the blueberries and water, but I don’t see any reference to water aside from adding watter to the canner. Can you advise please?
Directions are:
Combine the blueberries and water in a 5-quart nonreactive pan. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce the heat a fast simmer and cook uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Thanks!
Mavis says
Hi Paula, you add 1/2 cup water in with the blueberries and let them simmer. 🙂
Wendy says
The very best blueberry jam is blueberry-lime, although lemon or orange is excellent also. Spiced blueberry is wonderful too! We used to have 5 huge highbush blueberries at our old house. We picked gallons a day. I made pie filling, syrup, jams and just canned and froze berries also. I miss those bushes…
Richele says
Mavis- I was all set to buy the granite wear canner but the descriptions on amazon said it wasn’t recommended for a glass top stove. Is this the kind of stove that you have?
Kendra says
JUST made this!!! I love the two flavors…and wasn’t so sure about what it would turn out like BUT …LOVE IT!!! Very refreshing!!!
Ellen in Clackamas says
Is there a need to run through a strainer to get the blueberry “skins”out? Or do they cook down enough?
Christine says
I was wondering if I did something wrong I did not get it to set and I did not see fruit pectin in the recipe so I added a box to it. After it was done I tried it and I have to say my family loved it. Thank you very much for the recipe.
Leisha says
Christine’s comment about pectin has me wondering…..is pectin needed for this recipe?
Patty P says
LOVE this recipe Mavis! My son and I picked blueberries yesterday and this sounded like the perfect recipe to try! Batch two is starting now.
For those of you wondering about pectin….there’s no need….slow simmer it until it gels up. 🙂