I am all about making homemade jams and jellies these days. This last week, I tried my hand at making homemade blackberry jam. So far, this has been my favorite.
Thanks to Ball® Home Canning for sponsoring this post and sending me the all-new jelly jars to store my homemade jams in!
Making homemade blackberry jam is not hard at all. In fact, making any jam or jelly is pretty easy.
When it comes to canning, there are several types. There is pressure canning (which my mom did a lot of when I was growing up). You can also do water bath canning (what you do for a lot of salsas and jellies). And there is freezer canning (like I did with the strawberry jam I recently made).
How to Make Homemade Blackberry Jam
First, you want to make sure that you get really good ripe blackberries. You can use fresh or frozen -- either one works well. If you really love blackberry jam, growing your own blackberry bush is a fantastic way to get a large amount of ripe blackberries for jam making.
For this one, I used fresh. The store had a great deal on the berries, so I bought two of the large packs to make this jam with.
You are going to need pectin.
Pectin is what will make your jelly set up well. There are two kinds of Pectin -- powdered or liquid. Either one works fine.
And then you need jelly jars.
For me, there has only ever been one jelly jar that I've used and that is Ball® Home Canning. Growing up, the jars were covered in beautiful diamond cuts.
My mom had jars that had specialty lids. Sometimes, she would have me cut rounds of fabric and string to place over the top to dress them up when she gave them away.
I've loved this memory my entire life and so I now pass on that tradition myself. Except -- I use the new Ball® Home Canning Jars.
The new jars are smooth sided, making it easier to see your jams and jellies better. But don't worry -- the Ball logo is still up front and center on every single jar.
Let's Get that Homemade Blackberry Jam made!
Now that you have your star ingredients, it's time to make that jelly! Before you do though -- you need to prepare your jars for canning. Heat jars in a stock pot of simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
Using a potato masher, smash your berries really good. I like my jam chunky so I never puree my fruit. For me, those chunks of fruit make for a delicious piece of toast.
Once you get your berries mashed, add in your sugar and boil on the stovetop for a couple of minutes. That gives the sugar time to melt and it will create the most beautiful liquid you have ever seen.
At this point, you can add in your pectin and lemon juice (if you are adding that) and boil for 1-2 more minutes.
Pull your jars out of the hot water bath and dry them off. Then, ladle the hot jam into the jars making sure to leave ¼" headspace at the top.
Center the lid on the jar and apply the band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place the jars in the boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
Process jars 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove jars from canner and let them stand 5 minutes. Cool the jars on the counter for 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.
It's really that simple. It's not rocket science and the jam is better than any store-bought jam you will find. For more information on canning and preserving, please check out Ball Home Canning.
Looking for other jam and jelly recipes? Check these out!
- Green Pepper Jelly
- Red Pepper Jelly
- 20 Minute Pumpkin Butter
- Orange Jelly
- Pear Vanilla Jam
- Freezer Strawberry Jam
- Peach Jam
- Bacon Jam
- Crockpot Blueberry Butter
Homemade Blackberry Jam
Make this easy homemade blackberry jam today to serve on top of fresh hot biscuits or a piece of toast.
Ingredients
- 4 cups blackberries, crushed
- 3 cups sugar
- 4 ½ tablespoon Ball Real Fruit Pectin
- 6 half pint size Canning Jars
- Water Bath Canner
Instructions
- Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
- Combine berries in an 8-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
- Add entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary.
- Ladle hot jam into a hot jar leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on jar and apply band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
- Process jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid, let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for seal, they should not flex when center is pressed.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
80Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 35Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 8gProtein: 0g
I loooovvvveeee homemade blackberry jam. I love blackberries. This looks delicious.
I love the idea of having fresh jam in the home - especially blackberry! I'll admit that I've never tried making it on my own but I'll have to set aside some time to try.
Blackberry jam is my FAVORITE type of jam! I've never even considered making it at home, but this looks like a fun process!
Now this is going to be awesome for summer. I just bought some blackberries and I'd love to do more things with them!
We have blackberries in our yard. When they ripen there are tons! This is such a yummy way to preserve them.
I have canned before but I haven't tried making jam yet. I love blackberries. Once we get settled into our new place this summer I will have to make some.
I have always wanted to make jam. I bet it tastes so much better than store bought jam!
There is nothing on the planet like fresh homemade jam. Especially blackberry! I can't wait to give your recipe a go!
Nothing is better than something that is homemade. I absolutely love a good blackberry jam so I’ll be trying out this recipe soon. I bet it would make a perfect gift too!
I've never made homemade jam! It looks sooo good! I can't wait to try it!
I need to get more jars. THe local produce store sells cases of ripe berries super cheap. You either need to freeze them or make jam.
This looks really good! I definitely need to give this a try!
This looks amazing. I love jam on almost anything. I would definitely purchase this!
I love jams and storing them in mason jars like this! This sounds and looks yummy!
I just made my first batch of jelly using this recipe! Thank you for an easy to follow jelly recipe! 6 jars are sealed and we can’t wait to try it!
That's awesome! I am so glad you loved the recipe 🙂
Could you use this recipe for jalapeno blackberry jam? My husband loves this recipe but he wanted me to add jalapenos to it.
I am sure you could. I don't think it would change anything at all.
I have and people love it!
Hi, my husbands favorite!!!!! I have a homebased baked goods business and I would love to use this recipie to jar some or use in my cookies would this be alright I never give recipes out thank you.
Hi -- I would be honored if you wanted to use my recipe. If you share it online anywhere though, please always link back to my site and give credit for where the recipe came from. Thanks for asking.
I'm new to canning, please excuse my probably silly question. Does this recipe call for classic pectin or instant pectin? What's the major difference? Are they interchangeable? Thank you!!!
Hi, Stacey that is a good question! From what I read online it said that Classic Pectin requires a higher sugar ratio to fruit in the recipes to achieve a good set. Instant Pectin is used for non-cooked /freezer jam. I think for this recipe I would use classic pectin. For my freezer strawberry jam, you can use the Instant Pectin. Hope that answers your questions.
Can I use this recipe for strawberry jam too?
Yes you sure can!
Hi my a local store has blackberries on sale and they are 6 oz containers. How many should I get for this recipe. Thanks!
I would probably get 3
I have never made jam but am about to try it. I have looked at a lot of recipes and I have decided on one finally. So far I have 3 gallons of blackberries and I think I will pick 3 more gallons before trying this. Wish me luck.
Making jam is not hard at all. You will love it and blackberry is always a favorite around here.
can you freeze it?
Yes. Just put it in freezer safe containers. It should freeze well and last up to 6 months.
You call for 4 1/2 tbsp of Pectin. Is this supposed to be 4 1/2 TSP of pectin. If recipe is correct, why not just 2 Tbs of Pectin? It's an odd way of presenting the amount.
No -- It has the correct amount of pectin in it. 4 1/2 TABLESPOONS.
I made this jam and gave almost all away have had people call and ask for more. It was great recipe.
IT is my go to jam and I always get rid of every single jar I make (with the exception of what I keep for myself.)
Hi. Just for clarity…in your written, paragraphed instructions above you have sugar added first and boil. Then add pectin and lemon juice and boil. However, in the recipe below that, the pectin is added first and boil, then add sugar all at once and boil.
Either way works fine. I have done it both ways. I will fix the instructions to match.
This recipe turned out great - but it only made 4 jars for me. So super small batch but the flavor is so good! Will make again for sure.
Hi Kristen. It probably is because the size of your berries. I usually make smaller batch jelly recipes because it is just me and my husband.
I have made this twice and both times it turned amazing. I had never made homemade jam and was surprised how easy it was.
I love hearing that Lynn! This is my favorite jam too.