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If you’ve ever shuddered at the amount of sugar in a recipe for homemade jam, you’re going to love this guide to sugar-free jam. Because yes, it’s totally possible to enjoy homemade and home canned jams that are both delicious and free from refined sugars.
How to Make Sugar-Free Jam
When it comes to canning jam, some people think that sugar must be added in order to preserve the fruit, to achieve a proper gel, or to retain the fruit’s color. However, these are all myths.
Many fruits can be safely canned without sweeteners at all, although I do prefer to sweeten my jams with local honey. Maple syrup is another good option. Lemon or lime juice is typically added to increase the acidity and make jam safe for canning. The amount of juice added is enough for safe canning but not enough to impact the fruity flavor of the jam.
Even pectin can be optional, for reasons I’ll outline below.
Canning sugar-free jam is so simple that I often recommend it for newbies. Honey-sweetened jams are versatile, tasty, and healthier than store bought versions or sugary homemade jams.
Favorite Fruits (and Veggies) to Use for Sugar-Free Jam
I prefer to use local, in-season, and sometimes even homegrown ingredients for canning jam. However, you can definitely can fruit from the grocery store, including frozen fruit.
- Apples
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Peaches
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
Sweeteners to Avoid in Jam
In addition to refined sugar, I recommend avoiding the following sweeteners in home canned jam.
- Agave: agave nectar is not the “healthy” natural sweetener it’s often cracked up to be. In comparison with honey, agave contains a much higher concentration of fructose and far fewer nutrients and antioxidants. Personally, I steer clear of agave nectar.
- Stevia: stevia is actually safe to use for canning, but I’ve never tried it. For canning, liquid stevia is easier but powdered stevia is the least refined option. Personally, I limit stevia to very occasional uses and choose local honey for sweetening sugar-free jam.
- Xylitol: according to my research, xylitol is safe for canning but I avoid it for several reasons. Xylitol is processed, often comes from GMO corn, and commonly causes intestinal distress.
- Aspartame: aspartame is not a healthy sweetener for jam or anything else, and it can cause an off taste in canning.
- Corn Syrup: by now, most of us are aware of the health dangers associated with corn syrup. For this reason, I do not recommend using it for canning jam.
Do You Need Pectin in Sugar-Free Jam?
Pectin is not necessary, although pectin-free jam may turn out a bit soft and loose. Soft jam doesn’t bother me one bit, because it’s still delicious! Plus, I love keeping my homemade jams as simple as possible, and free from any unnecessary ingredients.
As someone who turned to real foods in order to turn my health around, I’m on a mission to help others do the same. I now serve as a Natural Living Mentor, inspiring and encouraging families everywhere to embrace a less processed life, which includes simple, unprocessed foods.
When I began to emphasize real foods and eliminate processed foods from my family’s diet, I made it my mission to learn to can fresh, seasonal foods as simply and healthfully as possible. For me, this means no refined sugar. It also means avoiding pectin when possible.
My family and I are happy to eat a softer jam knowing it was made from fresh, local ingredients without unnecessary additives.
5 Tips for a Thicker Jam
Don’t be afraid to experiment, knowing that the results will always be delicious. A thin jam that doesn’t set well is still wonderful for stirring into oatmeal or yogurt, pouring over waffles or pancakes, serving over ice cream, and more.
- Use a low, wide pan. A low, wide pan provides more surface area, which allows for faster water evaporation.
- Cook a bit longer. A longer cook time may help to reduce and thicken the jam. There’s a bit of a learning curve here, however, because cooking for too long can cook away the natural pectin.
- Resist the urge to stir. Stir only enough to prevent scorching.
- Batch Size. Another variable that can affect the jamminess of jam is the batch size. Typically, the smaller the batch, the thicker the jam.
But who has time to can multiple small batches of jam? Not me, which is why I constantly push the limits for jam batch size. Personally, I’d rather turn out more jam in one batch, even if it’s a bit on the soft size.
Therefore, I tend to double and sometimes even triple or quadruple jam recipes, including my own. Just keep in mind that the bigger the batch, the greater the chances for a softer, looser jam.
• Jar Size. When it comes to canning jam, I recommend using the smallest jar your family will eat in one or two sittings.
Once you open the seal of your jam jar, it’s important to eat it up quickly. You don’t want to risk it spoiling!
At my house, we often have multiple varieties of jams going at once. The more open jam jars in the fridge, the longer it takes to finish any one jar. For this reason, I tend to can most jams in 4-ounce jars.
My #1 tip for when you can’t make everything yourself
I know that you can’t always make your own jam. Sometimes life is too busy, but you still want to feed your family the best options you can purchase. That’s why I’ve created a FREE list of healthy pantry staples at the store that breaks down the best choices when from-scratch isn’t an option.
Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam
Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam
Canning sugar-free jam is so simple! Honey-sweetened jams are versatile, tasty, and healthier than sugary jams.
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Canning Time 10 minutes mins
Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Servings 6 half pints
Equipment
Large Wide Pot
Potato Masher
Long Handled Spoon
Half Pint Mason Jars
Funnel
Ladle
Jar Lifter
Waterbath Canner
Ingredients
- 3 pounds blueberries, 2 quarts
- 1⅓ cup honey
- 1½ tablespoon bottled lemon juice
Instructions
Add the berries to a large, wide pot. The lower the better.
Mash well.
Stir in honey and lemon juice and allow to rest for a few minutes until the honey dissolves.
Bring the berry mixture to a boil and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the jam has thickened, pour it into clean, hot jars.
For canning, process in a hot water bath for ten minutes.
Notes
Canning is not necessary. If you prefer not to can, simply pour into clean, hot jars and allow to cool. This jam should last for three or four weeks in the fridge.
Keyword blueberry jam, honey blueberry jam, jam, sugar-free jam
41 Comments on The Ultimate Guide to Sugar-Free Jam
Love this!! I’m a beekeeper, so I try and use honey whenever possible. A question for you…my 5 year old grandson is calorie restricted due to a genetic condition. What would the calorie count be for 1 tablespoon of the above blueberry jam? Also, have you ever tried making jam from dried fruits? Would the jam be thicker that way?
Thanks so much!
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I’m not sure what the calorie count would be, and I’ve never made jam from dried fruits. Sorry! But you may be surprised at how thick this jam gets with fresh berries. Hope that helps!
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Love this recipe & can’t wait to try it this week. I have a large bag of dried elderberries & plan on trying the following:
https://www.frontiercoop.com/recipes-by-course/spreads/homemade-elderberry-jamReply
How many carbs per serving. What about using monk fruit?
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Thank you for all these great pointers, Kathleen.
I just improvised a recipe for monkfruit grape-jam recipe yesterday, since none can be found! …total unicorn on the web. I’m here exploring the variables. I used a bread machine on the jam setting, to make it. I’d used strawberries before, but the grape was unexpectedly delicious.So… the results are much like Kathleen says. A batch this large was hard to thicken, and I ran it through the jam setting twice (for reduction; 2 x 45 mins each time). I used a source recipe with 4 cups of black seedless grapes, and when I do it again I will reduce the batch size, and use 1 TBSN of pectin per pound of fruit. (and 1 cup Monk Fruit sugar, 1 TBSN lemon juice) I expected the effort to be just a lab write-up, and to try again, and again, but: it was delicious, strong flavor, strong purple color. thickened in fridge… (but it could be thicker, for my preference) I have much eating to do before I make the next batch.
Good luck.
Also… intrigued by the honey in place of the pectin, but I can’t change too many variables at once or I’ll never know which item is causing my problems.Reply
I’m not sure about the carbs, and I’ve never tried canning with Monkfruit. I have heard that if you use a monkfruit/erythritol combo, you need twice as much liquid (the jam) as sweetener, or the monkfruit may crystallize. I’m all about experimenting, though, so if you try it, let us know how it turns out!
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if you don’t use honey, how much maple syrup would you use?
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Hi Amanda, I’ve never tried this recipe with maple syrup, but my understanding is that you’d use the same amount as you would honey. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
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Can you use this recipe in a jam maker?
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I’ve never tried a jam maker, sorry. If you do try it, be sure to report back and let us know how it turned out!
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Can I use mulberries instead?
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I’ve never tried canning mulberry jam, but I think it would work. You might want to taste test and perhaps add a bit more honey to balance the more tart flavor of mulberries.
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I love this blueberry jam recipe. Can I substitute mulberries for the blueberries and still use the same ratio of honey and lemon juice? The two fruits I have in my yard are blueberries and mulberries. I really want to stop using sugar.
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I’ve never tried canning mulberry jam, but I think it would work. You might want to taste test and perhaps add a bit more honey to balance the more tart flavor of mulberries.
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Looking for a sugar free tomato jam recipe. The above comment: 1 lb fruit, 1 TBSP pectin, 1 cup Monk Fruit, Lemon Juice. I will try that. Question: is that low sugar/no sugar pectin or regular pectin?
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Hi Nancy, I make a delicious tomato jam without sugar! Here’s the recipe: https://rootsandboots.com/home-canned-honey-tomato-jam/.
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Can you substitute any berries using the same amounts of all ingredients listed in the recipe?
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I haven’t tried the recipe yet but plan on doing so when I get some time. Looks good. I wanted to make a comment about using honey and then canning. My understanding of honey is if it is heated to more than 95 deg F the nutrients will be destroyed. This is why the little bees spend endless hours in the hive fanning it with their wings. So, my point is while honey does have a lot of various nutritional benefits it can all be wasted by overheating. Just an FYI.
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You are correct! But I still prefer honey over sugar.
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I am a great grandmother to an 18 yo that just got diagnosed with Lupus, long haul in life for her 💔 but I am getting recipes for no suger , no prossed food to help her and teach her. Thank you for this article.
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I have some really sweet Mulberries wondering if I can make jam without sugar or sugar substitutes
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I’ve never made mulberry jam but it’s definitely worth a shot!
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Would the ratios still work if I simply added some jalapeños to this recipe? I’m having a hard time finding honey sweetened Blueberry jalapeño jam (newbie canner here). Thank you!
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Hi Brittany, adding jalapenos to a jam recipe would alter the acidity. To make a jam that includes peppers safe for canning, you would need to pressure can (or add vinegar or lemon juice, which would alter the taste).
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Thank you for sharing this recipe. Can I make this jam w/ no sweetener at all?
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Most fruits can be safely canned without any sugar/sweetener at all. I haven’t tried canning blueberries without honey, but it should be possible! You might want to add a bit of water. The yield will change, of course, as well as the texture. Let me know how it turns out!
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This article is great! Very helpful, thank you!I think I may pressure can some of mine and see how it goes for longer shelf life. I think it might count as a low acid foodReply
I’ve been hoping to find a no sugar, no pectin recipe. This recipe received no complaints from the clean up crew who were licking the spoons and ladle! I did can mine assuming a half inch head space but not sure I saw a recommendation on that in the recipe. Also how long can these be stored on the shelf?
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
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1/4 inch headspace is typical for jams. Shelf storage life (unopened and properly sealed) is at least a year, probably longer. Hope that helps!
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I’m assuming that we can swap out any other berry variety for the blueberries?
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Yes, most berries should be acidic enough to safely can in a water bath canner.
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Thank you for sharing your health journey and the recipe results with us!
Would you recommend agar for a thickener if you want a thicker jam? From my limited understanding it is a healthy thickener substitute but am a novice in canning.
Thank youReply
I’ve never tried agar. For a thicker jam, you could try reducing the recipe. Typically, the smaller the batch, the thicker the jam.
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I was wondering if you can freeze this jam? Years ago, I made a sugar free strawberry jam that I froze in the jars. I don’t think I put it through a water bath.
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You can absolutely freeze this jam!
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I’m diabetic and saying honey or maple syrup are not sugar, or any less bad for you than corn syrup is misinformation
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Wow, I think I’m in love! Read everything on your “ how to make sugar free jam” and love, love, love you’re thinking! Question: can I use frozen berries AND can I strain to remove seeds?
I’ll be following you – thanks a million!
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Yes, Karen, you can use frozen berries for canning. Enjoy!
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Does this recipe work with any of the fruits you mentioned at the beginning of the article? Same amount of fruit no matter which kind?
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Technically, you can water bath can most fruits (those naturally high in acid) even without any sweetener at all. So yes, you could probably swap out any acidic fruit in this recipe. For more details about canning fruits (without sugar), please see my complete Sugar-Free Canning Course.
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My first time canning and it was delicious! I was nervous about the pectin, so I was probably a little stingy with it; I also stirred when I shouldn’t have. A bit runny, but delish.
New Jersey blueberries are here. I’m off to buy more so I can make more. Thanks for the confidence to try!Reply
