Blueberry Bourbon Jam Recipe

Blueberry bourbon jam recipe in a glass canning jar with a small silver spoon in the jar. There are blueberries scattered around the jar.

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4.72 from 32 votes

Delicious blueberry bourbon jam is a perfect way to capture the flavor of ripe, juicy blueberries.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Jam recipes

Cuisine: American

Servings: Half pint jars

Calories: 64kcal

Author: Cheryl Bennett

Equipment

Ingredients

8 cups fresh blueberries stems removed, washed and picked over (about 3 lbs) and crushed *see note
1 box powdered pectin 1.75 oz. / 49g box regular powdered pectin. NOT low sugar, not liquid.
⅓ cup lemon juice
2 vanilla beans split in half, and scraped clean
¼ cup bourbon
6 cups sugar

Instructions

Rinse blueberries with cool water and place on a clean kitchen towel to dry completely. Discard any moldy or badly bruised fruit.
In a water bath canning pot with a rack, sterilize canning jars by bringing them up to a simmer in the water. *Make sure you have added enough water so the jars will be covered by 2 inches of water.
In a small pot, sterilize lids by bringing those up to a simmer as well. (you can add everything to one pot, but you'll need to go fishing for the lids)
In a 10 quart pot, add crushed blueberries and pectin. Stir to combine. (Or, you can just crush the berries in the pot)
Add lemon juice, vanilla bean seeds, scraped vanilla pods, and bourbon. Stir to combine, then bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently.
Remove jars and lids from water, set aside.
Once blueberry mixture is boiling, add in sugar all at once and bring jam mixture back up to a full rolling boil, while stirring constantly. (Meaning, you can't stir the bubbles down). Boil hard for one minute.
*To ensure the jam will properly set up, I use a thermometer to check the temperature of the jam - It should hit 220°F. That's when it's reached the "gel point".
Remove jam from heat and remove vanilla pods. Ladle jam into warm sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" space.
Wipe the rims with a damp paper towel to make sure they are clean.
Top jars with lids and screw on bands to fingertip tight. (Do not over tighten)
Carefully lower into water bath canner and process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Then carefully lift jars out of the water.
Set jars of jam on the counter and wait for the lovely "ping" sound to let you know they have sealed.

Video

Notes

Crushed blueberries should equal 5 1/2 cups by volume.
If jam looks really watery, you can boil it for an additional minute or so. This may happen if you use frozen berries.
Boiling jam is HOT and also hurts like crazy if it gets on your skin. Wear oven mitts while stirring to protect your hands from burns.
Any jars that haven't sealed properly must be stored in the fridge.
Store sealed jars without bands in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
If you are using frozen blueberries, make sure to drain them well before starting. The excess liquid will take forever to boil off.

Nutrition