Canning Blueberries

Canning blueberries could not be easier. Learn how to can them with or without sugar.

After preserving rhubarb, raspberries, and apricots this summer, now is the time for canning blueberries. I love doing it, but it also makes a little sad. Canning blueberries means that the summer is almost gone...

Just like every year, I picked tons of blueberries this August as well. I canned them, made rhubarb and blueberry jam and pie, homemade blueberry sauce, sour cream cake, and so on.

How much to make?

• The amounts indicated in the recipe are just a guide. You can make as many or as little berries as you have.
• If canning more blueberries than indicated in the recipe, calculate the needed amounts of water and sugar accordingly.

What do you need?

• Fresh blueberries
• Granulated sugar, optional
• Lemon juice, optional if canning with sugar
• Water
• Canning jars
• Lids
• A canner or large pot
• Jar lifter
• Kitchen mitts

Sugar:

• You can preserve the blueberries with or without sugar.
• You can also add less or more sugar than I did.
• However, I don't recommend adding more sugar, they are sweet enough as they are, and you still want to taste the berries and not only the sweetness.

Jars:

• Their size is not very important.
• Those I normally use have a capacity of 350 ml/ 12 fl.oz/ 1 ½ cups.
• Fill them with berries as indicated and pour over the syrup or water to cover them.
• The indicated amounts are perfect for the jars I have, but if you notice that you have too little liquid, you can always make a little more syrup to make sure that the berries are properly covered.
• It only takes minutes to make extra syrup.
• Or simply top with water.

How to make?

• Wash the berries very well, and let them drain in a sieve. Remove any spoiled ones.
• Clean thoroughly both jars and lids.
• You can sterilize them, however, the latest research indicates that sterilizing them is not necessary anymore if you are canning the jars after filling them.
• Fill with berries, leaving about 2 cm/ 0.8 inches headspace.

How to can with sugar syrup?

• Heat the water in a saucepan.
• Add the sugar and lemon juice, slowly bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely.
• Once it comes to a boil, let bubble once or twice and remove it from the heat.
• Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour over the berries, covering them completely.
• Seal and can.

How to can with water?

• The same method I use to make preserved cherries.
• Place the berries in the jars and cover them with water.
• For a very slight sweetness, you can add one tablespoon sugar to each jar, but it is optional.
• Seal and can.

How to can in a canner?

• Fill a canner about half full with water and bring to a boil.
• Place the jars into the water one at a time using a jar lifter or use the canning rack of the canner to lower them all into the water at once. Caution: the water is hot!
• The water should cover them by 2 ½ to 5 cm/1 to 2 inches. If there is not enough water in the pot, add boiling water as needed.
• Bring to a boil, cover the pot and boil for about 15 minutes, (and regarding the recipe instructions if canning something else). Adjust canning time for altitude.
• Let cool in the pot for 5 minutes.
• Very carefully lift from the pot and let cool completely on kitchen towels (or a cutting board).

How to can without a canner?

• Use a large pot that will allow the jars to stand in it and be completely covered with water.
• Place a clean kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot, the jars should not touch the bare bottom of the pot.
• Place them on the towel making sure that they don't touch each other.
• Cover with hot water (boiled in a kettle, for instance, but hot tap water is fine as well).
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer the jars for 15 minutes.
• Very carefully remove from the pot. It is preferable to use a jar lifter and kitchen mitts, the water is scalding hot.
• Place on folded kitchen towels (or on a cutting board) on the counter and let cool completely.

How to store?

• Once they are completely cool, check that all the jars are sealed.
• Refrigerate any that didn't seal for up to 3 weeks.
• Store in a dark cool place.
• The canned blueberries will keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year.

How to use?

• Pour on top of oatmeal, semolina or rice pudding or serve ice cream.
• Pour over pancakes, crepes, or waffles.
• Make desserts.
• Add the berries to cake fillings.
• Use the juice to moisten cake bases before filling.

Make blueberry sauce:

• Drain the berries and save the liquid.
• Place the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• In the meantime, stir some cornstarch with a few tablespoons of cold water. For one jar of blueberries, you will need about 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Adjust the quantity according to how much sauce you make.
• Whisk the slurry into the boiling juice. Let bubble once or twice while whisking continuously.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the drained berries.
• Serve warm in any of the combinations mentioned above.

More blueberry recipes

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Baked Lemon Curd Cheesecake

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Canning Blueberries

Canning blueberries could not be easier. Learn how to can them with or without sugar.

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Course: Preserves and Canning Recipes

Cuisine: American, German

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 jars of 350 ml/ 11/2 cup each

Calories: 161kcal

Author: Adina

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

• ▢ 1 kg/ 2.2 lbs blueberries
• ▢ Canning with sugar:
• ▢ 1,5 liter/ 50 fl.oz/ 6 ⅓ cups water
• ▢ 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ Canning with water:
• ▢ water

Instructions

• Wash the blueberries and remove any spoiled ones. Divide the berries between the jars, about 200 g/ 7 oz berries into each jar if using jars with a capacity of 350 ml/ 12 fl.oz/ 1 ½ cups. If using smaller or larger jars, fill them accordingly, leaving about 2 cm/ ½ inch headspace.

With sugar:

• Pour the water into a saucepan and add the sugar and the lemon juice. Slowly bring to a boil while stirring often to help dissolve the sugar. Let bubble once and remove from the heat. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour the syrup over the blueberries, covering them completely. Wipe the rims. Seal and can the jars.
• Process in a canner for 15 minutes (increasing time for altitude, if necessary).

Without sugar:

• Pour warm water over the berries in the jars covering them completely. Wipe the rims. Seal and can the jars.
• Process in a canner for 15 minutes (increasing time for altitude, if necessary).

Can with a canner:

• Fill a canner about half full of water. Bring to a boil and lower the jars into the water one at a time with a jar lifter or use the canning rack of the canner to lower all the jars into the water at once. The water should cover the jars by 2 ½ to 5 cm/1 to 2 inches. If not enough, add boiling water as needed.
• Bring to a boil, cover, and boil for 15 minutes, increasing time for altitude, if necessary. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pot.
• Remove with mitts and a jar lifter and let cool completely on folded kitchen towels or cutting boards and let cool completely.

Can without a canner:

• Use a large pot that will allow the jars to stand in it and be completely covered with water. Place a clean kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot. Place the jars on the towel making sure that they don't touch each other.
• Cover with hot water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and can the jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude, if necessary. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pot.
• Remove from the pot using a jar lifter and mitts. Place on folded kitchen towels on the counter and let cool completely.
  
• Refrigerate any jars that didn't seal for up to 3 weeks. Store the sealed ones in a dark cool place, they will keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year.
  

Notes

Nutrition is calculated for 1 jar of blueberries with sugar. If canning only with water, a jar will have about 95 calories.

Nutrition

Serving: 1jar | Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 14mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 33g

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