How to Make Blackberry Preserves Without Pectin

Marie Overton
Aug 15, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Jun 22

Blackberry preserves are whole fruit preserved in a sweet syrup and can be used for a great number of sweet treats. Blackberry preserves are great on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, and any number of other food items you would eat with syrup. My teenage daughter really likes to dip cheese sticks in it or use it on salads or wraps.

Today I am going to teach you how to can blackberry preserves without pectin. This method of canning blackberry preserves is especially useful when you don’t have pectin on hand but still want to put up your fruit.

Makes: 4 half-pint jars

2 pounds blackberries
4 Cups Sugar
1/2 Tsp Butter (Optional)

Rest the Blackberries:

Hands stir a pot of white sugar or creamy mixture on a granite countertop, showing a kitchen prep scene.

Combine the 2 pounds of blackberries and sugar in a large pot. Gently stir until the blackberries are coated in sugar.

Cover and let stand or “rest” for at least 30 minutes.

Preparation:

Prepare your boiling water bath canner by filling it about halfway full with water and place it on the stove on medium heat.

Cook:

After you have rested your berries, add the optional 1/2 teaspoon of butter to reduce foaming and place them on the stove to cook.

Cook rapidly over high heat to almost the gelling point (220 Degrees Fahrenheit), stirring constantly. (Reduce the gelling point by 2 degrees for every 1,000 feet above sea level.) Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.

Do you need a thermometer?

Fill the Jars with Blackberry Preserves:

Person ladles dark berry jam into jars on a kitchen counter, with stainless bowls and berry splatters visible.

Using a jar funnel, ladle the hot blackberry preserves into hot jars, leaving ½ -inch headspace. Clean the jar rim.

Place the lid on top of the jar and add the ring. Tighten the ring to fingertip tight. (For quality, American made Superb canning lids and jars follow this link and use the coupon code WP20 to get 20% off your purchase.)

Process the Jars of Blackberry Preserves:

Place the filled jars into the boiling water bath canner . Make sure the water covers the jars by at least 1 to 2 inches. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the water canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint jars for 15 minutes if at sea level. Adjust your processing time if you are above 1000 feet in elevation.

Chalkboard sign for water bath canning with altitude times, beside jars of preserves on a countertop.

Once your blackberry preserves have completed processing, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then, space the jars about an inch apart on a heat resistant surface for 24 hours to cool and completely seal.