How to Make Blueberry Jelly

Homemade blueberry jelly on warm bread, straight from the oven... it's a match made in heaven! And making your own blueberry jelly allows you to enjoy a delicious taste of summer all year round!

Choosing the fruit for homemade blueberry jelly

You can use fresh or frozen fruit to make blueberry jelly, which is good to know if blueberries are out of season! 

The quantity of frozen fruit needed is the same as fresh - but make sure you only use loose, frozen berries. Some frozen fruit has been crushed, with sugar added - that won't work for making your own blueberry jelly.

What's the difference between blueberry jelly and blueberry jam?

Part of the process of making blueberry jelly includes straining the fruit, so that the end result is very smooth. This is what makes it different from jam, which isn't strained and contains pieces of fruit and seeds.

Can you make sugar-free blueberry jelly?

Yes, it's possible to make blueberry jelly with artificial sweeteners or stevia. But you will need to use no-sugar pectin and carefully follow the directions that come with it. This is because the amount of pectin and sweetener to use vary with different brands.

Small batch vs canning

If you prefer to keep things simple and don't want to go through the additional steps of canning your jelly, then you will need to make it in small batches, as it won't last as long. 

If you like to batch cook and have plenty of homemade blueberry jelly for the months ahead, then you'll need to make sure the jelly is properly preserved (see step 7 below for canning). 

How to make blueberry jelly - the basic steps

1. Wash the blueberries, place them in a pan with water and crush them a little. 

2. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for around 10 minutes, until the berries have broken down and released their juice.

3. Put the berries through a strainer in order to collect the juice. You can either use a proper jelly strainer, or line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth. Try using a wooden spoon to push down the berries and get as much juice from them as you can. 

4. Pour the juice into a pan and mix with sugar and pectin. You can also add lemon juice, which helps preserve the gorgeous color and flavor of the berries. Bring to a boil, stirring non-stop. Then reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture starts to thicken up.

5. Pour into glass jars and seal with the lids. If you are planning on preserving the jelly, it's a good idea to sterilize the jars first.

6. For a small batch of blueberry jelly, allow the jar to cool. It's now ready to use... enjoy!

7. To preserve a larger batch, place the sealed jars in a canner, or a boiling water bath. Make sure the jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove and cool. You can store the jars unrefrigerated until you open them.

This blueberry jelly recipe is nice and simple and skips the canning stage altogether.

Now you've created your batch of homemade blueberry jelly, why not use some in this yummy recipe for blueberry jelly donut holes?