Canning Blueberries the Simple and Healthy Way
No added ingredients are needed, just pure BLUEBERRY GOODNESS! NO Liquid! NO Sugar or Sweeteners! Just Berries—pure and simple!
This is a super simple process that only requires a water bath canner. I have found this method to be by far one my favorites when it comes to putting up berries for the winter. The berries keep their flavor and you do not need to add any unnecessary sugar. For an added bonus, you can use them in much broader range of ways than with other common methods of preserving. Add them to oatmeal, pancakes, ice cream, breads and crisps, or make into preserves, syrups, or pies as your heart and stomach desires! Unlike when freezing blueberries, there are no worries if the power goes out.
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Start by washing your jars and prepping your rings and lids according to the manufactures instructions. Then set aside. (For canning blueberries you do not need to sterilize the jars, unless it makes you
feel more comfortable to do so.)
Get a large pot of water on to boil. You will need this for the next step: blanching the berries. While the pot is heating up, wash and prep your berries. Picking out and discarding any bad berries or stems you find.
Once washed and prepped, you can move onto blanching the berries. You can do this a few different ways. The three options I tried were: the colander method, the cheesecloth method, and the dump and scoop method.
1. Colander Method. This is my preferred and the easiest method of the three. Blanch your berries by placing them in a small colander that fits inside your pot. Then dip and remove as a whole unit.
2. Cheesecloth Method. This method involves using a cheesecloth or undyed muslin cloth to contain the berries while blanching. Place the berries into the cloth and rubber band or tie shut. Dip into the hot water using tongs. Swirling around to make sure all the berries get submerged evenly into the hot water. (This takes between 20 to 30 seconds.) This method works best with small batches of berries at a time. Keep in mind, your cloth will become stained with blueberries!
3. Dump and Scoop Method. Simply dump the berries in the hot water and scoop them back out. Though simple sounding, avoiding over-blanching with this method can be difficult. Unless you are a super fast scooper and do very small batches at a time!
After removing the berries from the hot water allow them to cool slightly. By blanching your berries, it helps to preserve the texture and flavor of the berries. This is the trick to being able to use them in many different ways later on.
Carefully pour your blanched blueberries into your prepared jars being sure not to smash the berries. Jiggle/shake the jar slightly to remove any big air pockets allowing the jars to fill evenly.
Be sure to leave one inch head space in the jars.
Wipe off the tops to insure a good seal and add your lids and rings.
Place the jars in a water bath canner and fill with water. Make sure the water comes up over the tops of your jars about 1-2 inches.
Bring the canner to a boil and process 20 minutes for quarts. If canning pints, you will only need to process them for 15 minutes. Once done processing, allow jars (and water!) to cool slightly before removing jars from the canner. Check seals after completely cooled. (Lids should not spring back when lightly pressed) During processing, the blueberries will make their own juice and shrink slightly.
Store your jars of berries in a cool area away from any direct sunlight and use within a year for best quality. The berries will be safe to eat after a year, but the quality and taste will start to decline some.
Preserving Nature’s bounty, the Homesteading Hen
36 Comments
Jais · September 9, 2019 at 11:05
Thanks. I love blueberries. These methods can help me store them for long.
admin · September 25, 2019 at 17:47
Your welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed the post, happy eating and canning blueberries!
Jenn Summers · September 20, 2019 at 07:57
I have honestly never heard of canning blueberries! What a game changer!
admin · September 25, 2019 at 17:37
Happy to help add to your canning and berry preserving repertoire!
laurabooksandblogs · September 20, 2019 at 08:04
I’ve never canned anything before, but this looks really easy. Summer fruit is the best, and it would be nice to have them available year round without buying them frozen or paying a fortune for a little container.
admin · September 25, 2019 at 17:33
Yes, having fresh canned blueberries on hand in your pantry is awesome! This method allows you to pick and buy them in season, and enjoying them later without a hefty price tag. The best part being that they keep that fresh summer blueberry flavor. You will find it’s a super simple process, happy canning!
Karen · April 19, 2020 at 15:12
Can frozen berries be used for this method? I have quite a few bags from last summer still, but would love to free up some freezer space if I can. Thanks!
admin · April 20, 2020 at 07:03
Hey Karen,
I have never tried it with frozen berries before, but I do not see a reason why it wouldn’t work. Freezing brakes down the cell walls of the berry similar to blanching, so you should be able to skip that step when using frozen berries. Just make sure you let your berries thaw completely and divide the resulting liquid between your jars. If you do decide to give this a try, we would love to hear your results! Best of luck with your experimenting trials!
Tamara | The Gutz Life · September 20, 2019 at 09:09
This is great! I have always made jams or syrups with my excess blueberries. I didn’t realize I could store without the sugars. I am going to try this!!
admin · September 25, 2019 at 17:21
Glad to be able to help broaden your preserved healthy berry options, happy blueberry canning!
Sherry · September 20, 2019 at 16:24
I love blueberries! I have not canned them before, but definitely have to try this next year. I ended up freezing everything I had this year as the family loves them in smoothies. I imagine canning them brings out their flavor even more!
admin · September 25, 2019 at 17:19
It really does bring out the fresh blueberry flavor! I still freeze some of our berries for smoothies too. Though I normally can most of mine for various baking, toppings, fruit crisp, or just eating plain straight from the jar!
esmesalon · September 20, 2019 at 20:19
Oh wow, I will have to try this and will pin to use whenever I have a batch of berries available again. Thanks for sharing
admin · September 25, 2019 at 17:14
Your welcome! Glad you enjoyed our post on canning blueberries without added sweeteners or liquids.
Roseann · February 24, 2020 at 08:05
Thank you, can you use this method with other fruit and berries.
admin · February 26, 2020 at 13:54
Thanks for your question. I personally have not tried it with other types of fruit and berries, but after checking the pH levels of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, I do not anticipate any issues if you were to give it a try. Best of luck! 🙂
Sue · May 18, 2020 at 09:12
I have one concern with your methods. You should always start with sterilized jars. A simple way is to wash and rinse them. The put in a 225 degree oven (upside down, so they drain). If you do this as your first step the jars will be ready to go when you are.
admin · May 20, 2020 at 11:23
Sue, thanks so much for sharing an easy way to sterilize jars, I will definitely be testing your method! I love the practicality of using the oven and having them always ready, yet not in the way. I also tend to lean to always sterilizing your jars being the best practice when water bath canning. However with this recipe I have three generations in my family that don’t per-sterilize the jars for blueberries and never had one go bad, so left it open to the reader to decide. 🙂
Regina · July 22, 2020 at 07:46
The jars used for this recipe do not need sterilized due to the fact that the processing time meets or exceeds 10 minutes (USDA,NCFHP). Regardless, an oven temp of 225F would not sterilize glassware – you would need a sustained dry heat of 320F for 2-4 hours. Also note that dry heat sterilization is not recommended by jar/glass manufacturers. Sterilize jars, when needed, by submerging them in water and boiling for 10 minutes.
admin · July 22, 2020 at 10:52
Thanks for your comment and scientific input into the conversation, Regina! You make a good point also on jar/glass manufacture recommendations; I have also heard dry heat over time can ruin your jars and cause breakage.
Cyndie · May 19, 2020 at 04:44
..how long do you blanch?
admin · May 19, 2020 at 20:04
Just a few seconds are all that’s needed if your water is simmering. You want to remove the berries as soon as the skin on the blueberries turns darker.
Debbie Rogowski · June 17, 2020 at 07:56
You say to allow the water bath and jars to cool before removing, doesn’t that continue to cook the berries?
admin · June 22, 2020 at 17:29
Debbie, thanks for your question. Sorry, it took a few days to get back with you. The recipe allows for the added time in the water bath. The reason for allowing the jars to cool a little is to helps prevent your jars from breaking and/or causing a loss of liquid in your jars from the sudden temperature change. You don’t need it to be completely cool just not piping hot.
Roxanne · August 1, 2020 at 00:26
Hi. My jars look like they are getting bubbly foam in them. I followed the directions exactly. I processed them yesterday. Are they safe to eat?
admin · August 3, 2020 at 07:28
Roxanne, Start by checking your seals. If the seals are good my first guess as to the foam would be from either leftover soap residue on the jars or some type of contaminate like spray still on the berries. In some cases the sprays on berries tends to stay put even if rinsed well etc. As for being safe to eat, if they are sealed and smell fine upon opening they most likely they are still usable. Sometimes depending on the type of foam and considering they were just processed, if it is from soap or other spray contaminants sometimes the foam will disappear on its own after a day or two.
Brenda · July 19, 2020 at 23:17
This is great I never thought to can berries other than making jam or jelly! One question though- are you adding any extra liquid in with the berries or just the berries themselves?
admin · July 20, 2020 at 09:18
Brenda,
So glad it inspired you to try something new! No extra liquid is needed due to the natural high liquid content of the berries. Just place your blanched blueberries in the jars and your ready to go. 🙂
Nancy Sparkes · August 13, 2020 at 22:46
My mom always preserved her blueberries by putting them in bottles back in the day, but I didn’t know how long she would boil them. I know she didn’t blanch them, but they still tasted delicious in her pies.
Lots of wild blueberries where I live so I am going to try your recipe and save some space in my freezer.
admin · August 19, 2020 at 08:51
Nancy, I’m glad my post sparked good memories of your mother and her pies, they sound yummy! Have fun preserving the wonderful flavor of wild blueberries!
Kara · July 25, 2020 at 20:20
Some of my jars floated when I tried to water bath them. Did you have that issue at all, and if so, how did you solve it?
admin · July 26, 2020 at 21:10
Kara, I have had that happen once when I didn’t fill my jars enough. Try jiggling the jars a little as you fill them to insure they are well packed. You can also place a stoneware plate on top the jars to hold them down in a cinch as well. 🙂
Beth Gollihue · August 13, 2020 at 21:23
Hi I tried your method and my pints of blueberries ended only about have full. I filled them up. They did seal and are they safe to eat. Thanks
admin · August 19, 2020 at 08:34
Beth, Sorry for the delayed response, the site has been running updates and for some reason did not inform me of your comment. In regards to your question, as long as the jars sealed they should be just fine and safe to eat. Next time to prevent your jars being only half full try jiggling them a little more throughout the filling process. Happy canning!
Petra Slaughter · September 21, 2020 at 03:00
I followed the instructions the lids all sealed, I noticed there isn’t much liquid in the jars and the fruit shrunk leaving airspace, I also noticed the blueberries on top are a paler blue, are these berries save to eat. I used the water bath process.
admin · September 22, 2020 at 10:58
It’s completely normal for the berries on top to be lighter since they are out of the liquid. As long as all your jars sealed correctly they will be just fine to eat. In order to achieve fuller jars by minimizing air pockets without smashing your berries, try gently jiggling the jars a little as you pack them in the future. The final amount of liquid in your jars is dependent on several variables. This includes things like freshness and juiciness of your berries, the temperature and humidity of the growing season, the variety, and even what time in the berry season you are picking.