Canned French-Style Blueberry Jam (No Pectin)

By Kaleb WyseLast modified on Mar 18, 2026

4.67 from 33 votes

This blueberry jam recipe comes together with only five simple ingredients. And while canning may sound like a lot of work, it's actually pretty simple, resulting in a small batch of jam to be enjoyed later!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

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Kaleb Wyse wearing a black shirt standing in front of a taupe background.

Why I Make This French-Style Blueberry Jam

Canning as a way of preserving has become second nature to me. When you do something with enough repetition, it seems to happen without much thought.

It feels like I grew up in the kitchen, and during the summer months, Grandma and Mom were always preserving something. I would sit at the table and cut up beans, peel peaches, or shell peas. The whole time, I was watching and listening to Grandma, and soon enough, I too knew what to do.

If canning is a new venture, jam-making is the best way to start. It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t require a large batch to make it worth the effort!

Hand holding glass jar filled with dark purple blueberry jam with other hand holding spoon scooping out some of the jam

How Do You Make Jam?

There are 3 main types of fruit jams: butter, jelly, and preserves.

Butter is fruit cooked with sugar, then passed through a food mill for a thick, smooth spread.
Jelly is fruit juice cooked with sugar and boiled until thick.
Preserves are fruit cooked with sugar, but most of the fruit is left in pieces. This way, the resulting jam has texture and real pieces of fruit to spread.

I prefer to make preserves because of how easy it is. Plus, I like to see the pieces of fruit I’m enjoying!

Spoon with purple colored blueberry jam sitting on buttered slice of brown bread on wooden cutting board with towel in background — This French-style blueberry jam has a thinner texture than a blueberry jam made with pectin.

Why Do You Water Bath Jam?

I preserve most of my jams by canning them in a water bath. After cooking the jam to the desired thickness, I fill sterilized jars with the jam and top the jars with lids and rings.

Before our grandmas had the USDA to check all the canning recipes, the heat from the cooked jam would seal the lid without a water bath.

Nowadays, we know that a quick water bath is best for safety reasons. During the water bath, any excess air leaves the jar, creating an airtight seal, trapping out any bacteria. This makes the jars of jam shelf-stable for at least a year!

Glass jars with lids and rings on holding dark colored blueberry jam inside sitting on white countertop with bowl of blueberries in front

More Preserves Recipes

Rhubarb butter
How to can orange and rhubarb jam
Strawberry basil preserves
How to can peach butter
Apricot butter
Peach jalapeño jam
Low-sugar strawberry freezer jam
Make sure to check out my canning 101 guide for more!

Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?

I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!

Canned French-Style Blueberry Jam

By Kaleb

4.67 from 33 votes

Prep: 10

Cook: 30

Process Time: 10

Total: 50

Servings: tbsp

Top down view of slice of brown bread sitting on white plate with butter and blueberry jam spread on top

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Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Before beginning, make sure to have all of the water bath equipment ready, as well as the sterilized jars, lids, and rings.
In a large, heavy-bottomed kettle or Dutch oven, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar.
3 ¾ lbs blueberries, 2 ¾ cups granulated sugar, 2 tsp lemon zest, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, continue to boil until a rolling boil is achieved, 8-12 minutes. A rolling boil means that as the mixture is stirred, it continues to boil.
Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it into a sieve fitted over a bowl. Drain the blueberries from the juice and set the blueberries aside. Pour the juice back into the kettle, place it back on the stove, and bring it back to a boil.
Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 221°F. This can take more time than one would think as the mixture must cook off excess water in order for the temperature to increase. Once the mixture reaches the correct temperature, add the blueberries back in. Bring to a boil and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove the jam from the heat and pour into prepared jars, leaving ¼-inch of headspace. Wipe off the jar rims with a clean cloth and fit with lids and rings tightened to fingertip strength. Boil in a water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from the water bath and cool on a rack for 12-24 hours before removing rings and storing.

Video

Notes

Food safety tip – Home canning is safest when you follow research-tested recipes and proper processing times. Improper canning can risk botulism. New to canning? See my Canning 101 Guide and consult the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning.