Harvest season for the beautifully pigmented wild blueberry is about to commence, meaning the small window to enjoy the colorful, fresh bounty of the season is just beginning. During this short harvest, Wyman’s of Maine, a family-owned grower and distributor of wild blueberries, quick-freezes 11,000 acres of their wild blueberries within 24 hours of gathering, locking in the fruit’s fresh flavor and character. Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) at peak ripeness, Wyman’s wild blueberries are frozen separately to keep the fruit closest to its natural freshness. With nationwide distribution, Wyman’s makes it incredibly convenient to secure these delicious wild blueberries outside of Maine.

Small, tart, and deliciously juicy, wild blueberries are jam packed with antioxidant compounds found within their deep-blue pigments. Unlike the cultivated blueberry, wild blueberries are only grown commercially in Maine and eastern Canada, they can’t be planted, and are hand-harvested in fields. They’re only In season for just over two months, and can’t be shipped fresh because of their delicate, thin skin.

In honor of the blueberry harvest, Wyman’s of Maine sent me some free product vouchers, so that I could pick up some of their blueberries to make one of my favorite recipes…home canned blueberry jam! When using frozen berries, you’ll want to place them into a strainer under cool running water for about 10-15 minutes to help them thaw. Then proceed with the instructions below.

Canning – Homemade Blueberry Jam Recipe

4-5 lbs. blueberries (9 cups crushed berries)
6 cups granulated sugar

Prep: Wash berries under cold running water and then drain. I like to let mine sit in the colander for about 5 minutes to make sure all of the water drains away. Coarsely crush blueberries one layer at a time using a potato masher. You will need 9 cups of crushed berries.

Cook: Combine the crushed berries and granulated sugar in a large stock pot. Bring the mixture to a slow boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook rapidly to gelling point of 220 degrees F, stirring to prevent sticking. Use a thermometer to make sure you reach the correct temperature to meet the jelling point. Please note, your mixture might “splat” and it will be hot, so wear oven mitts while stirring it to prevent those “splats” from burning your hands. Remove from heat and skim off any foam that formed.

Fill: Ladle hot jam into hot jar, leaving a 1/4″ headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe the jar rim clean. Place the seal and band onto the jar, adjusting until it’s fingertip tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water in your water bath canner. Repeat until all of your jars are filled.

Process: Lower the rack into the simmering water. The water needs to cover the jars by at least 1″ in depth. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the canner and bring the water to a full rolling boil. Process half-pint or pint jars for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove cover and let the jars cool for 5 minutes while sitting down in the water. Remove jars from the canner. Lay a towel out on your counter and place the jars on top. Let them cool for 12 hours.

Check to make sure all jars are sealed. You can now store them in your pantry closet or kitchen cabinet until you’re ready to use them. Once you open them, refrigerate them! They will keep up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Since there are no preservatives in them, make sure you use them up.

* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!

Disclaimer: Shelly H. received a complimentary product to feature & review on this blog. No monetary compensation was received. This blog post may or may not contain an affiliate link. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link on this site, we may or may not be paid a commission. Shelly’s thoughts, opinions and words about the product are 100% her own, unbiased opinion. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy. Thanks!