Making homemade jam doesn't have to be a daunting task. With the right ingredients and a few pieces of essential kitchen equipment, anyone can make delicious, fruity preserves in no time!
In this post, we'll walk you through how to make a delicious Mixed Berry Jam using strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. You'll never want to buy store-bought jam again after trying this simple recipe!
This easy mixed berry jam is ready in just over an hour and is so delicious.
Why Make Your Own Jam
- You can customize it to your own unique tastes, adding more or less of any of the ingredients until you find the perfect balance for you.
- This homemade jam recipe is healthier than store-bought varieties, as you can control the amount of sugar used in the recipe and additives and other ingredients.
- Making homemade jam is a great way to show off your kitchen skills and impress your friends and family.
- This simple recipe makes a small batch of jam, but can easily be scaled to make a large batch.
- You can make jams from seasonal fruits and berries that might not be available at stores year-round.
- Preserving food with jam making is a practice that has been around for centuries - why not join in on this time-honored tradition?
- Best of all, making homemade jam allows you to create something from scratch when starting with just basic ingredients!
Ingredients to Have on Hand
Get more info on all of these ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
You only need these 4 simple ingredients for jam:
- berries - You need both strawberries and blueberries for this easy jam recipe. This combination of berries is pure perfection!
- granulated sugar
- lemon juice - I recommend sticking to fresh lemon juice rather than the bottled lemon juice from the grocery store
How to Make Mixed Berry Jam
In a large saucepan add the sugar and mixed berries. Make sure berries get coated in the sugar and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Be sure to toss the berries every 5 minutes as the sugar dissolves with the berries.
Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook another 15 minutes or so, until the berries start to burst.
As jam cooks, put a clean plate in the freezer for later, to use to test the jam consistency.
Increase the heat to medium-high heat and stir fruit mixture every few minutes until it thickens. Once thick, reduce heat to low and stir more often so it doesn't stick or burn in the saucepan.
Cook for 30-35 minutes until most of the juice and liquid has evaporated and the fruit has almost finished breaking down.
Add lemon juice and mix until it reaches a thick consistency. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes. The jam should be finished and it is time to test it.
Take a spoon and get some jam and place it on the plate that was in the freezer. But, now put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Take it out, if you can drag your finger through the jam without it looking runny, it's ready. If it doesn't hold its shape then cook for another 5 minutes and try again.
Once hot jam is ready, remove from the heat and transfer to your jam jars, and store the jars of jam in the fridge.
Storage
There are several options for storing homemade jam. Refrigerating the jam is best for short-term storage, as it can keep for up to 2 weeks. If you’re looking to store the jam for longer periods of time, freezing is the way to go.
Place your jars in the freezer with lids off, and once frozen, screw on the lids tightly and place back in the freezer. This will keep your homemade jam safe from air exposure and help it last for up to a year!
How many servings does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 8 ounces of berry jam. An ounce of jam is 2 Tablespoons, which is 2 servings, so the entire 8 ounces is 16 servings.
Can jam sit at room temperature?
No, it’s not recommended to store homemade jam at room temperature for more than two hours.
After that amount of time, the sugar and water in the jam can begin to ferment, leading to spoilage.
For this reason, it’s best to always store your homemade jam in the fridge or freezer.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can absolutely double this jam recipe to make more berry jam. This is an easy thing to make and give to family and friends and would be the perfect homemade gift for a gift exchange.
Make sure you have a second 8 ounce container, or you can use a larger jar for your jam.
Why use pectin in jam?
Pectin is a naturally occurring substance found in many fruits that helps to thicken jams and jellies. Without it, your jam wouldn't be as thick or have the same consistency.
Pectin also helps the jam set so it's not too runny. Adding pectin to jams and jellies ensures they are sweet, sticky, and full of flavor.
The pectin also helps keep your jam fresher for longer. It can help preserve it for up to a year when stored properly in the refrigerator or freezer with lids on tightly.
In this recipe, we don't need to add pectin because the fresh lemon juice helps release the natural pectin in the fresh fruit so the jam can set properly.
Can I use all strawberries instead?
Sure, if you just want to make a pure strawberry jam, you can do so. But there are a few things to keep in mind.
If you decide to use only strawberries or substitute them with other berries, it's important to keep in mind that strawberries tend to release more liquid naturally. This might lead to a slightly thinner consistency for the jam.
However, if you continue cooking the jam and it still appears somewhat runny, there's no need to worry! It's perfectly normal and doesn't affect the overall quality of the jam.
Can I use frozen berries?
I recommend using fresh berries whenever possible. You'll get the most flavor out of them and frozen berries sometimes may have extra liquid in them that may change the consistency of your jam.
For best results, use fresh strawberries and blueberries. If you really need to use a frozen mix of berries, you should increase your sugar content in this mixed berry jam recipe.
Tips and Variations
- You can use a potato masher or wooden spoon to help release all of the juices from the fresh berries as they start bursting.
- If foam starts to form on the top of your jam as it's cooking, you can use a slotted spoon to help skim foam off the top of the jam before transferring your jam to the mason jar.
- To make a triple berry jam, try trading out some of the strawberries and blueberries for some raspberries.
- For a little extra pop of lemon and a slight change in texture, add some lemon zest as the jam comes to a thick boil.
Looking for more ways to use this small batch jam recipe? You can use a bit of jam in some homemade poptarts for a deliciously flavored treat.
Don't forget to lather some of this easy jam on your homemade whole wheat toast or on top of some, fresh out of the oven Crisco biscuits.
This jam is a family favorite and will be one of your go-to recipes, especially when you go picking berries during berry season when they're fresh and you can get the best berries out there!
📖 Recipe
Mixed Berry Jam
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Strawberries
- 6 ounces Blueberries
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large saucepan add the sugar and mixed berries. Make sure berries get coated in the sugar and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Be sure to toss the berries every 5 minutes as the sugar dissolves with the berries.
- Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook another 15 minutes or so, until the berries start to burst.
- As jam cooks, put a clean plate in the freezer for later, to use to test the jam consistency.
- Increase the heat to medium-high heat and stir fruit mixture every few minutes until it thickens. Once thick, reduce heat to low and stir more often so it doesn't stick or burn in the saucepan.
- Cook for 30-35 minutes until most of the juice and liquid has evaporated and the fruit has almost finished breaking down.
- Add lemon juice and mix until it reaches a thick consistency. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes. The jam should be finished and it is time to test it.
- Take a spoon and get some jam and place it on the plate that was in the freezer. But, now put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Take it out, if you can drag your finger through the jam without it looking runny, it's ready. If it doesn't hold its shape then cook for another 5 minutes and try again.
- Once hot jam is ready, remove from the heat and transfer to your jam jars, and store the jars of jam in the fridge.