No canning experience required to make your own flavorful homemade jam with this Easy Blueberry Jalapeño Freezer Jam recipe!
What do you do when you visit a blueberry farm and come home with pounds and pounds (and pounds) of fresh blueberries?
Make ALL the blueberry things, including this super quick and easy Blueberry Jalapeño Freezer Jam!
One of our favorite summer outings is to an area blueberry farm called Rush River Produce near Maiden Rock, Wisconsin. On a clear day, the scenery is truly breathtaking. Picture rolling hills, manicured farmland, gorgeous flower gardens, eager and welcoming owners, and berries…rows and rows of sweet juicy blueberries.
Are blueberries easy to pick?
Yes! In fact, blueberries may be the easiest berry to pick (no thorny bush branches) and are perfect for kids as they can quickly fill their baskets (think instant gratification). Not to mention that blueberries are less perishable than other freshly picked berries, so you won’t have to rush home and prepare them before they lose their newly-picked luster. If you haven’t tried blueberry picking before, I highly recommend it. It’s great family field trip.
Can I freeze fresh blueberries?
With four of us picking berries, we end up with a LOT of them. I usually freeze my extra berries to use when I need a little taste of summer during the doldrums of winter. Freezing blueberries is super simple. Just place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, pour them into a ziploc freezer bag, and they are ready to use whenever you are in a baking mood.
Instructions
There is no canning experience required with this easy freezer jam recipe. In fact, there’s no pectin or hot water bath necessary, either. Freezer jam is simply fresh fruit, sugar, a bit of acid and whatever additional ingredients you choose all cooked together on the stove for about 20 minutes.
You'll find that freezer jam is thinner than your store-bought variety because of the lack of pectin, but the flavor is still 100% awesome. Since there is no preservation process (i.e. canning), store your homemade jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or freeze it for up to 3 months.
This Blueberry Jalapeño Freezer Jam is my version of a similar product I found at our local farmer’s market years ago. The jalapeño pepper gives the blueberries a subtle, sweet heat that is made savory with a few generous tablespoons of onion-y shallot. You can either leave the jam chunky after the cooking process or give it a quick spin in the blender to make it a little smoother. Personally I find it super easy just to pop my immersion blender in the pan so I can gauge my perfect level of puree.
Serving Suggestions
I don’t think you can go wrong with however you use this sweet and savory jam, but here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- spread on warm buttermilk biscuits
- crackers with goat cheese or cream cheese
- topping for grilled chicken or pork
- spooned over vanilla ice cream
- hostess gifts (these jars are the cutest!)
More Blueberry Recipes
- Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins - Garnish with Lemon®
- Blueberry Banana Bread - Dinners, Dishes & Desserts
- Blueberry Crumble Bars - Garnish with Lemon®
- Blueberry Zucchini Snack Cake with Lemon Buttercream - The View from Great Island
- Blueberry Margaritas - Garnish with Lemon®
Blueberry Jalapeno Refrigerator Jam
Ingredients
- 4 cups blueberries
- ⅔ cup superfine or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers with seeds and membranes removed finely minced
- 3-4 tablespoons of finely minced shallots
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and continue a low boil, stirring occasionally, for 12-15 minutes or until jam starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Store in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Totally love the idea of adding in jalapeno. I'm thinking this would be great on my morning bagel!
It is fabulous on a bagel!
Now THAT is what I call an interesting combination 🙂
Oooooh, blueberries AND jalapenos? I like! And I love how easy it is to make, too!