Make raspberry, blueberry, or blackberry jam in under an hour, without pectin, and with frozen berries using this easy berry jam recipe.
You might also like my instant pectin strawberry freezer jam recipe, homemade applesauce, or instant pot apple cider!
Make your own small batch of berry jam with 3 simple ingredients. Frozen fruit is much cheaper than fresh fruit and makes wonderful jams. My favorites are raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry. I also made a mixed berry batch this time and it was delicious! Homemade jams are so much better than anything from the store and are easier to make than you might think.
What I Love About This Recipe
- SIMPLE. It's made with simple ingredients, just 3 ingredients: berries, sugar and lemon juice.
- SMALL BATCH. You only need 16 ounces of frozen berries to make a jar of jam.
- INEXPENSIVE. It's affordable because it utilizes frozen berries.
- SO MANY USES. You can use it on so many things from toast to ice cream!
- VERSATILE. Use any berry that you'd like.
- NO PECTIN. Because this jam is simmered low and slow, it'll reduce down enough to thicken as it cools without the need for powdered or liquid pectin. Jams made with pectin are also easy to make, but I prefer the simplicity of not having to buy a box. If I want a jar of homemade jam, I just head to my freezer to see what berries I currently have.
What Others Are Saying
I grow my own berries. This is 1st time making jam. I had a few bags of Blackberries in the freezer for over a year. Found your frozen recipe, tried it over the weekend SUCCESS, so easy thank you. 2 batches and its yummy. I have some blueberries to try next. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺---Sharr
Absolutely delicious and SO easy!---Emily on Pinterest
I’ll never buy jam again. I eat daily with plain Greek yogurt and granola.---Beverly
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Tips and Tricks
- Sterilize your jars and lids. Here is a guide for properly preparing jars for preservation. Because I freeze my jam instead of canning it I use plastic screw-on lids. If you can your jars, you'll need metal lids and rings.
- Stir to prevent burning. The jam needs to simmer for a bit, but remember to stir it occasionally to prevent burning.
- Allow the jam to cool. Let the jars of jam cool at room temperature before adding lids and refrigerating. This will help keep added moisture from entering the jars.
- Let Jam Set Up. Jam may take up to 24 hours to set. You can, of course, help yourself to a spoonful before then, but it will thicken as it stands.
- Runny Jam Fix. If, after 24 hours, your jam is soupy, it means that it didn't cook for long enough. No worries! Pour the jam back into the pan and simmer again. If your jam is too thick, it means that you simmered it a bit too long. This rarely happens. Usually, it's a little on the thinner side, and that's easier to fix than overcooked jam.
Ingredients
- Fresh or frozen berries: You can use any kind of frozen berries. I made 3 batches and used raspberries, blackberries, and a batch of mixed berries.
- Granulated sugar: Sugar is essential for making jam. It plays a crucial role in forming the gel in jams as well as enhancing the flavor of the berries.
- Lemon juice: Lemon juice balances out the sweetness of the sugars and berries as well as aiding the jam in setting.
The sweetness of these 3 berries is similar so I use the same amount of sugar for each batch. You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice, but I prefer bottled lemon juice for canning because it is supposed to be more reliable and pH-balanced.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Easy Berry Jam Without Pectin
Step 1: Place berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy-bottom saucepan or pot. Stir to coat berries with sugar.
Step 2: Heat on MED-HIGH until the mixture comes to a boil.
Step 3: Reduce heat to MED-LOW and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Mash berries with a potato masher, if desired.
Step 4: Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Ladle into jars and let stand at room temperature until the jam cools completely.
Step 5: Add lids and store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to one year.
Easy Jam FAQs
Using frozen berries is economical and EASY! You're able to make delicious jam any time of year and there's no need to thaw the berries ahead of time. Some sources recommend letting the berries with the sugar for an hour or so to allow the juices to seep, but I've had great success simply adding everything to my pan and simmering.
I've made this recipe enough to know exactly what works for my stove and climate. If you'd like a few methods to test for doneness, you can try the freezer test for jam.
This easy jam recipe can be stored in glass bottles or plastic jam containers and makes about 20 ounces of jam. I typically fill a 16-ounce jar and a small 4-ounce jar (the jam jars that I used are linked). Because it isn't canned or processed it'll only stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 10 days and can be stored in the freezer for up to one year.
I have a water bath canner, but I rarely use it. Our jam doesn't last long enough to need to process it, but here are instructions from Almanac.com if you'd like to! Jam typically processes for 15 minutes in a water bath canner.
More Jam Recipes To Make
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Easiest Berry Jam Made With Frozen Berries
Equipment
- canning jar or freezer container
Ingredients
- 16 oz. frozen berries 4 cups
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions
- Place berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy-bottom saucepan or pot. Stir to coat berries with sugar.
- Heat on MED-HIGH until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Reduce heat to MED-LOW and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Mash berries with a potato masher, if desired.
- Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Ladle into jars and let stand at room temperature until the jam cools completely.
- Add lids and store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to one year.
Louise Reiter says
Can I preserve these with the water bath method? I'd like to save a few. Thank you.
Brandy says
Yes, you can do that! I don’t have instruction for that though, but I’m sure someone has a good rundown online.
Joanne says
I can't have citrus - is the lemon for flavor or is it necessary to help the jam set? Making this with frozen raspberries would be plenty tart, I think. Could I omit it? Or could I replace it with another acid like apple cider vinegar?
Brandy says
Hi! Here is what I found on Google: "Lemon juice helps jam set because its acidity helps the natural or added pectin form a gel network. The acid in the lemon juice lowers the pH of the jam, which is crucial for proper gelation, and can also help balance the sweetness of the fruit."
I'm not sure what you could use as a replacement.
Sharr says
I grow my own berries. This is 1st time making jam. I had a few bags of Blackberries in the freezer for over a year. Found your frozen recipe, tried it over the weekend SUCCESS, so easy thank you. 2 batches and its yummy. I have some blueberries to try next. 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
Brandy says
Sharr, this made my day! So glad you liked this method, and I'm jealous that you grow your own berries! That's amazing!
Susan says
Do you ever mash and sieve to remove seeds? They are bad for me.
Brandy says
I haven't ever done that.
Karen Ashworth says
Does this set like a jam or stay runny like a sauce or compote?
Brandy says
It is not as firm as a store-bought jam. I'd say between freezer jam and regular jam.
Hildegard says
Very delicious
Amanda says
For freezing it would letting it cool then vaccum sealing it work? I'm worried about the glass in the freezer.
Brandy says
I think that would be fine!
Morgan says
If using frozen berries do you let them defrost first?
Brandy says
No need to defrost!
Tay says
Is that the minimum amount of sugar or can we reduce the sugar if we’re trying to cut down on sugar? We just made it and it turned out amazing but I was just curious if we were to make it again if I could cut down on the sugar. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
Brandy says
I’m not sure! I tinkered around and mine uses less than some other recipe, but you might be able to go down a bit more and simmer it down a little longer.
Here’s one that only uses 1/2 cup of sugar. https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-basic-fruit-jam-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193560
Yvonne says
If I wanted to double this recipe to make 32oz, would all ingredients double or would it require less sugar or less lemon juice?
Brandy says
I’d double all of the ingredients
Katherine Josephson says
Nice to make fir neighbors with fresh bread
Brandy says
Absolutely!
Betty Jane says
Can you double this recipe? I'm thinking of making at least seven small jars for gifts. Or just make multiple batches separately?
Brandy says
I haven't tried doubling the recipe, but I'd imagine it might take just take a little longer to simmer down.
Emily says
Why does it only last a week in the fridge?
Brandy says
It isn’t processed/preserved like regular jam so it won’t last as long. You’ll find recommendations for 10 days online (like my recommendation) all the way up to 4 weeks. I use smaller jars and we typically use it up within 2 weeks of opening it. Just keep an eye on it!