Easiest Berry Jam With Frozen Berries and No Pectin (2024)

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This is the easiest berry jam recipe using frozen berries. Make raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, or mixed berry! No pectin is required. Make a small batch of jam in less than an hour!

You might also like my instant pectin strawberry freezer jam recipe or our homemade applesauce!

Watch my step by step video!

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.

Berry Jam Ingredients

• 1 lb. (4 cups) frozen berries
• 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

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.

Making Jam Using Frozen Berries

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.

Because this jam is simmered low and slow it’ll reduce down enough that it will thicken as it cools without the need for powdered or liquid pectin. Jams made with pectin are also easy to make, but I like the simplicity of not having to go out and buy a box. If I want a jar of homemade jam I just head to my freezer to see what berries I currently have.

How To Make Berry Jam With Frozen Berries

Instructions

1. Place berries, sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy-bottom saucepan or pot. Stir to coat berries with sugar.
2. Heat on MED-HIGH until the mixture comes to a boil.
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.
4. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Ladle into jars and let stand at room temperature until the jam cools completely.
6. Add lids and store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to one year.

Storing Berry Jam

This easy jam recipe can be stored in glass bottles or plastic jam containers and makesabout 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.

If you’d like to can the jam to make it shelf-stable I’ll include instructions at the end of the post.

How To Know When Your Jam Is Done Cooking

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 one of these from The Kitchn.

5 Delicious Uses for Raspberry, Blueberry, and Blackberry Jam

• Homemade Pop Tarts
• As a Topping for German Pancakes or Waffles
• Spread On Cookies
• Spread over Homemade Bread
• Ice Cream Topping

Tips for Success

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.

Easiest Berry Jam Recipe Using Frozen Fruit

How To Process Jam in Water Bath Canner

I have a water bath canner but rarely use it. Our jam doesn’t last long enough to need to process it, but here are instructionsfrom Almanac.comif you’d like to! Jam typically processes for 15 minutes.