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A jar of wild Maine blueberry jam on a blue and white gingham cloth.

Wild Maine Blueberry Jam

Afton Cyrus
Inspired by the picture book "Blueberries For Sal" by Robert McCloskey, this easy blueberry jam recipe is a taste of summertime in Maine.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1 pint

Good To Know

  • If you can find them, fresh wild Maine blueberries are available in New England in August and are wonderful to use in this recipe. 1 quart of berries yields about 4 ¼ cups or 1 ½ pounds.
  • Frozen wild Maine blueberries are available across the country year-round from brands like Wyman’s and work beautifully to make jam. If you’re using frozen berries, there’s no need to thaw them first, just extend the cooking time in step 2 to 8 to 10 minutes.
  • If you know how to safely can with the boiling water bath method, you can can this recipe. Use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh-squeezed for consistent acidity, and process a pint jar for 15 minutes (or two half-pint jars for 10 minutes).

Equipment You'll Need

  • 2 small plates
  • 1 large saucepan
  • 1 wooden spoon or rubber spatula
  • 1 pint-sized (16-ounce) Mason jar
  • 1 canning funnel (optional)
  • 1 ladle

Measure Your Ingredients

  • 1 pound wild Maine blueberries (about 3 cups)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • Pinch table salt

Let's Cook!
 

  • 1 pound wild Maine blueberries, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup lemon juice, Pinch table salt
    Place 2 small plates in the freezer to chill. In a large saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir everything together.
  • Place the saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling vigorously all over, 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the berries burst and the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. (The jam will still look very liquidy at this point, but will thicken up as it cools down.)
  • Turn off the stove and slide the saucepan to a cool burner. Remove 1 plate from the freezer. Carefully spoon a small amount of jam onto the chilled plate (the jam will be very hot!). Return the plate to the freezer for 2 minutes.
  • Remove the plate from freezer and drag your finger through the jam. If your finger leaves a distinct trail that doesn’t close up, the jam is done! If the jam is still runny and the trail closes up quickly, return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook the jam for a few more minutes, then repeat the test with the second chilled plate.
  • Let the jam cool in the saucepan for 5 minutes. Run a pint-sized mason jar under hot water in the sink until warm, then pour out the hot water.
  • If you have a canning funnel, set it in the jar. Use a ladle to transfer the jam into the jar (both will be hot!). Let the jam cool completely on the counter, about 45 minutes.
  • Serve, or place the lid on the jar and transfer it to the refrigerator. The jam can be refrigerated for up to 1 month.
Keyword Easy Blueberry Jam