Homemade Mixed Berry Jam

This Homemade Mixed Berry Jam canning recipe is so delicious you’ll want to put it on everything from pancakes and toast to waffles and ice cream. Or eat it right from the jar!

And make sure you sterilize your jam jars correctly! 

It's a family tradition to pick fresh berries from the local farms around the area on Father's Day.

That's why we had to make this Easy Mixed Berry Jam!

With all the strawberries we picked this year (in 90-degree heat, mind you), we made one of our favorite small batch jams -  Strawberry Chia Seed Jam. Without any added refined sugar, this stuff is healthy and fabulous!

Traditional jam making is so amazing because you get to enjoy fresh fruit all winter long! Plus, the berries have natural pectin in them, which thickens the jam after it cooks and cools, so there’s no need for adding extra pectin.

This jam is fantastic on everything from pancakes and waffles to toast and ice cream. Not to mention on yogurt parfaits!

Please note:  Since this is a pectin-free jam, it doesn't set like a jam that uses pectin. 

Giving Homemade Jam for Gifts

We make a big batch because berry jam is excellent for homemade gifts.

• Christmas gifts.
• Hostess gifts.
• Teacher gifts.
• You name it. This jam makes a great gift for it 🙂

To make your gift pretty and functional, include a tag with the name of your jam and the "made on" date!

How To Make Homemade Fruit Jam

This triple berry jam recipe doesn't use pectin. We saw so many recipes that didn't call for it, so we decided to try it. We prefer to keep the sugar to a minimum, so we went with a recipe with a high ratio of berries to sugar.

It turned out perfect! And with less sugar than most recipes. 

You can experiment with different ratios of berries depending on your preference and what's ripe at the time.

Step 1:  Get your canning jars ready

Have ready six hot, sterilized half-pint jars and their lids.

Here's how to sterilize jars for preserving.

Step 2: Marinate your berries

Place your washed and dried berries and sugar in a large bowl. Gently stir together and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Marinating the berries in the sugar before cooking brings out the flavorful fruit juices.

Step 3: Cook your berries

Gently stir together the berries and fresh lemon juice in a large nonreactive saucepan.

Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently and removing any foam* with a wooden spoon until the jam has thickened, about 15 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

*The foam forms because the berries fill with a lot of air from the boiling.

Step 4:  Place in sterile jars

Ladle the hot triple berry jam into the jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace (space at the top of the jar). Remove any air bubbles. Get the lids warming in a hot water bath (but not boiling).

Wipe the rims clean with a clean, damp cloth and seal tightly with the lids.

Step 5:  Seal your jars

Put the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Make sure the jars are covered in water.

A jar lifter is the easiest way to take the hot jars out of the water. 

How to tell if jam is done cooking?

Here's a little trick.

Place a few metal spoons or a small plate in the freezer when you start cooking. Then, add a small amount of the cooked jam to the back of one frozen spoon or plate and see if the jam thickens to your desired consistency.

If it is set and doesn’t run, you’re good to go.

If it’s too runny, cook and test again in 5-minute increments until the jam sets to your liking.

How long can you store jam?

You can store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. If a seal has failed, store the jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

This recipe makes six delicious half-pint jars of jam.

Cooking Notes:

• The fruit tends to bubble up while cooking. A great way to remove the foam is with a spoon.
• Since this is low sugar, pectin-free jam recipe, it tends to be a little runnier than traditional versions.
• DO NOT increase or double the 3 berry jam recipe because the jam won't "set" (jell, thicken).
• You place jar lids in a pan of hot water for several minutes to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids. However, newer lids do not need this step. 

Can you Make Jam out of Frozen Summer Fruit?

Frozen fruit has a higher water content than fresh fruit, making homemade jam runnier.

For best results, we recommend fresh fruit in this recipe. However, you can use frozen berries if you increase the sugar to 4 cups. 

You Will Love These Easy Homemade Jam Recipes:

Strawberry Chia Seed Jam

Blackberry Chia Seed Jam

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Printable Recipe

Homemade Mixed Berry Jam Recipe

This Homemade Mixed Berry Jam recipe can be made with a variety of berries.

4.63 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 half-pint jars

Calories: 533kcal

Author: Erin Henry

Equipment

• ▢
  canning jars
• ▢
  saucepan

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 cups raspberries
• ▢ 4 cups blackberries
• ▢ 4 cups blueberries
• ▢ 3 cups sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Have ready 6 hot, sterilized half-pint jars and their lids.
• Place the berries and sugar in a large bowl. Gently stir together and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
  
• In a large nonreactive saucepan, gently stir together the berries and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently and removing any foam, until the jam has thickened, about 15 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
  
• Ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims clean and seal tightly with the lids.
• Put the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Make sure the jars are covered in water. The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. If a sealed has failed, store the jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Makes 6 half-pint jars.
• Adapted from The Art of Preserving, by Lisa Atwood, Rebecca Courchesne & Rick Field (Weldon Owen, 2010).

Notes

Cooking Notes:  

• The fruit tends to bubble up while cooking. Just remove the foam with a spoon.
• Since this is a low-sugar, pectin-free recipe, it tends to be a little runnier than traditional versions.
• DO NOT increase or double the recipe because the jam won't "set" (jell, thicken).
• You place jar lids in a pan of hot water for several minutes to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids.

★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

***Please note the nutrition information is calculated per jar. 

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 135g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 119g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Tried this recipe?Mention @Suburban_Simplicity or tag #suburbansimplicity!

This article was enhanced with more tips and resources in May 2019.

Canning Basics

No worries, If you've never canned anything before, don't be afraid to start. Once you know the basics, you'll be on your way to canning all your summer fruit and much more!

The benefits of Canning:

• Gain control of the ingredients, including organic fruits and vegetables.
• Preserve foods at their freshest point, which locks in nutrition.
• The final product is chemical and preservative-free.
• Store-bought brands just can't match the wonderful flavor of homemade!

This post contains affiliate links. Disclosure policy here.

Basic Canning Supplies:

• Mason Jars - either ½ pint jars or 8 oz jars work well
• Funnel - for filling regular and wide-mouth canning jars
• Jar lifter - easily removes hot jars from the hot water
• Magnetic lid lifter - removes canning lids from hot water
• Bubble remover - for releasing trapped air bubbles

A great resource to get you started with all the basics of home preserving and step-by-step instruction is The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes. We're excited, blueberries are just about to come into season, so the canning supplies will be coming out again soon!

Have you canned jam before? What other fruits or vegetables do you preserve?