Fresh blackberries, sugar and lemon juice are the ingredients needed to make this delicious jam! No added pectin is needed as wild blackberries are naturally high in pectin.
This seedless blackberry jam is perfect for spreading on toast or in sandwiches.
This recipe has been updated to reflect additional information and now includes lemon juice. The lemon juice helps the jam set. I have had success with and without the lemon juice, but this can vary depending on your blackberries. I recommend adding the lemon juice to help ensure your jam sets up.
Homemade Blackberry Jam
My favorite method for making jam is with just a few ingredients and no added commercial pectin. I have everything you need to know in order to make a perfect set blackberry jam.
Follow my three-ingredient recipe along with my step-by-step directions, photos and tips to yield perfect homemade blackberry jam.
The hardest part about making jam without commercial pectin is knowing how long to cook the jam. I have three different methods for testing your jam so you’ll know exactly when it’s done.
Blackberry Jam Recipe Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Blackberries - fresh or frozen. If using frozen, allow berries to thaw first. Be certain to keep all the juice that is released as the berries thaw.
- Sugar
- Lemon juice
Why you can made blackberry jam without pectin
Pectin is a naturally found substance in many berries and fruits. It is also produced commercially to aid in setting jams and jellies. Commercial pectin requires an exact amount of fruit and a high amount of sugar in order for the jam or jelly to set.
Lemon juice and sugar is added to help activate the natural pectin.
Blackberries are naturally high in pectin so no added pectin is needed. I always add a few reddish blackberries into the mix because they have even more pectin than the riper black ones.
Because this recipe doesn't use a commercially added pectin, the amount of sugar added is all up to you! I added 4 cups of sugar to 8 cups of strained fruit. Most jam recipes call for equal amounts of sugar to fruit!
How to Make Blackberry Jam
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Mash berries and strain seeds
2. Place strained berries, sugar and lemon juice in a pot over medium-high heat
3. Stir often to avoid scorching
4. Heat until jam reaches the gel stage
5. If canning, place jam in clean and sterilized jars
6. Wipe rim clean
7. Add lid and screw cap and process in a hot water bath
How do you know when blackberry jam is ready?
Knowing when your jam is set, or done is the hardest part of making jam.
When cooking without commercial pectin you need to rely on a spoon test, a plate test or check the temperature. I like to use at least two methods, and often all three methods when making jam.
Spoon test
The spoon test relies on watching the sheeting or drops as they come off the spoon while it is cooking. When the jam first starts boiling it comes off in drops or thin steams.
When the jam has set, the jam will come off the spoon in more of a sheet. This takes some time to learn what this looks like and even though I've been making jam for years, I always rely on a second method.
Plate test
Have a small plate chilling in the refrigerator. When you think the jam has set, place a spoonful of hot jam on the cold plate. Wait one minute and draw a line through the center of the jam. If the line holds its shape and doesn't run, the jam is set.
Temperature test
The temperature test is the most reliable. However, the exact temperature will vary, depending on your altitude. You will deduct 2° for every thousand feet above sea level. Jam sets at 220° at sea level. I'm at about 2000 feet above sea level and my jam sets between 216° - 218°
I usually watch my jam with a thermometer and when it starts getting close to 215° I begin doing a sheeting test and then the plate test. I don't like to rely on just one method.
Altitude adjustment
| Altitude Feet | Increase Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 1,001- 3,000 3,001- 6,000 6,001- 8,000 8,001-10,000 | 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes |
Blackberry Jam Recipe Tips
- Blackberries are very messy and the juice will stain. Wipe up spills and drips quickly and wear something you don't mind if a few stains remain.
- Use a pot that is at least double the size of the ingredients. When you boil jam it will really swell up in the pot.
- Keep a close eye on your jam. You don't want it to burn or boil over. The pictures below show my jam boiling all the way to the very top of a large pot. If this happens, turn down the heat, blow gently on the top of the jam and carefully stir the jam. You don't want it to boil over and lose all that jam and have a burnt sticky mess to clean up.
- Jam will often create foam when boiling. I just ignore the foam. It usually disappears once the jam is set. If you still have foam on top of the jam, you can skim off before canning your jam.
Canning Homemade Blackberry Jam
- Make certain you always clean your jars prior to using.
- Use new canning lids that have been washed.
- Fill jars leaving a ¼ inch headspace.
- Hot water bath your jars for 10 minutes for half pint (8 ounces) or pint jars (16 ounces) and always adjust for your elevation (see chart below).
- Once jars are sealed and cooled for 12 hours, remove rings and wash the outside of jars. Replace rings if desired.
- Label and date jars.
Canning Supplies
A few supplies you may need to when canning this jam include a canning jar lifter, a food press(or chinois) a large canning pot, and canning jars.
If you'd like to freeze excess blackberries, follow these steps for freezing raspberries.
Some additional jam recipes for you to try include Apricot Jam, Rhubarb Jam, Strawberry Jam and Plum Jam.
FAQs for this Seedless Blackberry Jam Recipe without Pectin
Removing the seeds from blackberry jam is optional and a personal preference. I make blackberry jam with wild blackberries and the seeds often seem large. I prefer this jam without the seeds.
If the blackberry jam is processed in a water bath canner, the jam will have the best quality when used within 12 months. Once a jar is opened, the jar should be covered and refrigerated and used within 1-2 months.
Yes, the blackberries should be rinsed under cool water before making the jam.
Always taste your berries before making into jam. The berries should be sweet and juicy. If the berries have a bitter taste, they will cause your jam to be bitter.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my Canning Recipes.
Seedless Blackberry Jam Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Canning Jars - 16 oz (Pint sized jars or smaller sized jars)
Ingredients
- 12 - 14 cups blackberries (ripe berries and a few unripe berries)
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Mash and strain seeds from blackberries using a chinois. Measure out 8 cups of strained fruit for jam.12 - 14 cups blackberries
- Put 8 cups of fruit, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy stockpot over medium heat.12 - 14 cups blackberries, 4 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Stir until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Stir every few minutes to prevent scorching.
- Boil until jam is set (220 degrees at sea level and subtract 2 degrees for every 1000 feet above sea level.. 1000 feet = 218°). Jam needs to reach temperature in order to thicken. Stir often to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Ladle into clean, sterilized jars leaving a ¼ inch headspace.
- Wipe down rims and add canning lids and rings. Place in a hot water bath and boil jars for 10 minutes (adjust time according to elevation - see notes below)
Notes
- Be certain to add some unripened, or reddish berries as well as the ripe blackberries. The unripe berries have higher levels of pectin.
- Cooking time will vary depending on your elevation and your stove.
- I used pint-sized jars (2 cups.) You can also use ½ pint size jars. Processing time will remain the same.
- Be certain to adjust water bath times according to your elevation.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Traci says
How many half pint jars would this recipe make?
Thanks!
Kathy says
Hi Traci,
This recipe yields about 6 cups of jam so it would be 6 half pint jars.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
JANE HARGADON says
I am so disappointed that my jam did not set! I had 12 cups of strained blackberries. I added 6 cups of sugar, 3 Tbsp of lemon juice. I also added a box of Sure-jell since a previous recipe I tried with lemon juice and no pectin did not set.
It seemed like it boiled for at least 30 minutes, but the thermometer never went above 214 degrees. I jarred it and water bathed, hoping it would set when cool, but no luck. It made a delicious blackberry syrup, but I was really hoping for jam! Was I too impatient? Should I have not added the store bought pectin? Can I salvage what I made?
Kathy says
Hi Jane,
I'm sorry this didn't work. Adding the box of pectin in the middle of things doesn't always work. You usually have to follow their specific steps. The boiling takes some time and I usually use two methods to determine the jam setting; temperature and the plate test. Every batch that I make takes time to set. As far as salvaging what you have, I can't offer any suggestions at this point. I'm not certain how the boxed pectin changes things. I would use this as syrup instead of jam and serve over pancakes and ice cream.
Kathy
Patty says
Kathy,
Thanks for the recipe! I followed the directions to the T and it did set up very nicely. In fact, maybe too much so. I used about 8 of the little red berries and maybe that was too many. When it cooled, it was very sticky, like jam that you might leave out on the counter too long. The taste was fantastic, but a little too sweet for my liking. If I don't want to boil it for an hour to get the temperature up to 220 F, then I guess I need to use pectin? How would you suggest making a low sugar recipe for blackberry jam?
Kathy says
Hi Patty,
You can use less sugar in this recipe, but the rest of the steps remain the same. I find it helpful to check the jam with a couple of different methods, the temp and the plate test are my favorite. Also don't forget that if you're above 1000 feet in elevation, you'll boil less than 220°F. As far as wanting to make this quicker, you may want to use pectin. There are several low sugar varieties available. Just follow the directions on the package.
Kathy
Trisha says
My sister and I are excited to try this, but we want to add some bourbon to one batch. I know bourbon doesn’t have sugar, but since we will be adding 3-4 tbsp.of liquid should we adjust the sugar by adding the additional sugar in an equivalent amount to the bourbon we add or no extra sugar just cook it a bit more?
Thank you!
Kathy says
Hi Trisha,
I'm afraid I haven't added any sort of alcohol to my jams so I can't say how they'd work or the adjustments you'd need to make.
Kathy
Kerry Paul says
Hi Kathy,
I just made a batch of this delicious blackberry jam. I’m a canning novice, so your detailed instructions were much appreciated. I look forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Thank you!!
Kerry
Kathy says
Hi Kerry,
Thank you so much! Making your own jam and canning it is so rewarding! I'm glad you are enjoying it!
Kathy 🙂
Nancy says
Do you need to strain the blackberries? Or could I just use 8 cups of blackberries and add the sugar and lemon juice and cook, then use a blender to mix everything together............
Kathy says
Straining removes the seeds. If you don't mind the seeds, then no need to strain. 🙂
Jenna says
So….mine turned out super thick, like not being able to be spread at all!! Can I dilute it back down? Did I just boil it too long??? Thanks
Kathy says
I'm sorry that happened. Once you overcook jam, it's hard to bring it back. You might want to check out this article form the NCHFP.
Marge says
Hi Kathy,
Just had to tell you how much I absolutely love this jam recipe. Not only is it delicious but your directions were spot on. I’ll be looking for more of your recipes! Do you think you could make red raspberry jam (seedless) the same way? Again, thank you!
Kathy says
Hi Marge,
Thanks so much! I do think red raspberry jam could be made seedless. I have a recipe for the jam with the seeds, but it's without pectin. It's very similar.
Thanks again,
Kathy 🙂
Houston Fuller says
Tasty, easy, what more can you ask for. Thanks!!!!
Kathy says
Thank you so much! 🙂
Bradley Aiken says
This recipe is too vague. Lemon juice from fresh lemons or concentrated? Does it matter? It does when canning, though, I couldn't tell you why.
Kathy says
You could use freshly squeezed lemon juice or bottle lemon juice. Not concentrate. The lemon juice is used here to help with the jam setting up. That's listed in the post above along with step by step photos and everything you need to know about making jam and canning. You might want to read the entire post and the recipe if this recipe seems to vague. Bottle lemon juice matters when you are canning tomatoes. It is added to increase the acidity level. When bottled lemon juice is required, I always list that it should be bottled. When either can be used, I just list lemon juice. Concentrated lemon juice is not used.
Sunflower says
it is best in canning to use bottled lemon juice it is for raising the acidity of the jam so it can be safely water bath canned
Kathy says
For jams, you can use either. The jam by itself is acidic enough for water bath canning. In this recipe, the lemon juice is added to help with the gelling.
Vicky says
Trying your recipe today and have a question. I have very few red berries and I read in a remark to make sure you have half red for pectin. Should I add more red for this? Excited to find this recipe.
Kathy says
Hi Vicky,
Just make certain to have some red berries. They are higher in pectin than the really ripe ones.
Enjoy,
Kathy 🙂
Laurie Kemp says
I made this yesterday and today it is still runny so I opened the jars up and started all over again and added pectin and it came out perfect 👍. I had to remove some seeds anyhow so it worked out fine.. thanks for recipe and if you don’t have 1/2 red & 1/2 blackberries I’d add pectin 😊
Kathy says
Thank you, Laurie. I'm glad it worked for you. 🙂
Kelly says
Same, too runny. Definitely needs pectin. I made it exactly as stated.
Kathy says
Hi Kelly,
I'm sorry this jam didn't work out for you. It can be definitely be made without added pectin. However, there are a lot of variables involved that can cause the jam to not thicken properly. Be certain to read through the entire post for all the tips needed.
Kathy
Sabrina says
Hi Kathy - What type of chinois do you use to strain out the seeds and still retain some of the pulp? I’ve found several different types, but no idea how how fine of a mesh I would need for blackberries.
Kathy says
Hi Sabrina,
I use a model similar to this - Chinois Strainer. I think any model should work fine. You want one that comes with a wooden pestle so you can mash the berries and it also helps push the pulp through the holes.
Kathy
ML says
Can this be kept fresh in refrigerator or freezer without hot water bath canning?
Kathy says
You bet! For the freezer, leave at least 3/4 inch headspace in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 1 year. Refrigerated jam should be used within one month.
Enjoy! 🙂
Nancy M Carlson says
I love the stand on your Chinois. I have a regular fine mesh strainer that sits on top of bowls. What do you do when the volume gets to the bottom of Chinois? Use another bowl? It doesn't seem very high and yet is very tall. Can you explain how it works please?
Thank you so much. I would love to make this recipe.
Kathy says
Hi Nancy,
The stand definitely makes it easy to strain the berries. The wooden pestle allows you to really mash the berries against the sides. You use a circular motion pressing the pestle against the sides. The bottom sits up about 2 inches from the bottom of the bowl. If the bowl gets too full, I pour the contents into another bowl and then continue straining.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Kathy 🙂
Julia says
Hi Kathy,
I'm a little newer to canning and was just wondering how much headspace I should leave when I am canning the jam? I will also most likely be using a 500ml jar (just over 2 cups or 1 pint), but if I was using a jar that was bigger than a pint or smaller than 1/2 a pint how would I need to adjust the time for the water bath (excluding the calculations for elevation)?
Thank you!
Kathy says
Hi Julia,
Leave a 1/4 inch headspace from the top of the jam to the top of the jar. For 4, 8 or 12 ounce jars, the processing times remain the same. I do not recommend canning jams in jars larger than pint sized jars. Good luck with your canning adventures!!! 🙂
Becky says
I used black raspberries and after juicing them I used cheese cloth since they are wild berries and more small seed. I was working with a very small batch and added 1/2 jalapeño diced… 2 and 1/2 of finished juice with equal parts sugar - delish! Thanks
Kathy says
Great! I love the addition of the jalapeno! 🙂
Sidney says
It took more than an hour of boiling for the temperature to hit 220F (almost 1.5 hours), but the jelly has set up nicely. Thanks for the recipe.
Kathy says
Hi Sidney,
Thanks for your email. That seems like a long time, but the time really does vary. I'm glad it work out for you!
Kathy 🙂
Janet says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made it as directed and it is CRAZY GOOD!! Now I’m gonna have to go pick some more blackberries so I can make more. 😄
Kathy says
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoy it and go take full advantage of those wild berries and pick some more! 🙂
Tracy says
That is exactly what happened to me! Thankfully I live very close to a wonderful berry farm and they are coming in fast right now! It’s a wonderful velvety jam. May be my new favorite!
Kathy says
So glad you are enjoying the jam!!! 🙂
Joy says
I have my blackberries seeded and now I have 10 cups of juice. How much sugar and lemon juice do you suggest I use for this much juice?
Kathy says
Hi Joy,
My recipe is for 8 cups of blackberry juice which is a 2:1 ratio of juice to sugar. Plan on using 5 cups of sugar. I would increase the lemon juice to 2.5 tablespoons or 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons.
Kathy 🙂