Low Sugar Blueberry Jam in Bread Maker

My copied recipe for low-sugar strawberry jam in a breadmaker has become my most popular and most internationally visited post.  (link is here for reference)

After weeks of harvesting blueberries off our seven bushes (yes, seven - they came with the house) I've been experimenting and making blueberry jam.

I've expanded and altered the original recipe I found with the bread machine.

I wanted to add even less sugar than the low-sugar recipe.  So, I decreased the sugar, increased the lemon juice, increased the low-sugar pectin and have been getting tasty results.  I found that my altered recipe makes the low-sugar jam gel better.  Plus, I found that doubling the recipe works just as fine in the breadmaker as the single recipe I was using before.

And, I find I'm saving money on my Greek yogurt obsession.  Instead of buying the tiny cups with fruit on the bottom, I'm buying larger and more cost-effective containers of plain or vanilla; making my own swirly fruity goodness.

Four things I feel I should remind you:

1) Only use lemon juice from a real lemon.  Most bottled lemon juice is diluted with water, and no bottled lemon juice will aid the flavor or aid in gelling as much as the real thing.

2) Only use pectin specified for low or no sugar recipes.

3) This is not a recipe for jam to sit on shelves.  This will last in the fridge for up to a month and can be frozen for 6 months.

4) Tasty in yogurt, oatmeal, on toast, in smoothies and delightful on ice cream or frozen yogurt after a quick warm-up on the stove or in the microwave.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the recipe!  I'm making NO SUGAR CHERRY JAM tomorrow, so stick around for my next experiment and post.

Low Sugar Blueberry Jam in a Breadmaker

makes 1 pint

3 cups blueberries, crushed by two fingers or slightly chopped in processor

Crushing with fingers leaves a bit more texture.  Plus, it's fun for kids to be allowed to smash blueberries between their fingers while you measure the rest of the ingredients.

The blueberries only need a pulse or two in a processor.  Easier and quicker than doing by hand.  Leaves less texture, but produces more of a jelly instead of a jam.  My personal preference has been finger-crushing one cup and slightly processing two cups.

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 Tablespoons of low-sugar fruit pectin

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine all ingredients into bread pan
Select Basic setting

Press "Start/Stop" Allow to mix 5-6 minutes, scraping sides of the pan with rubber spatula.

Press "Start/Stop" to cancel
Select Bake setting
Press "Start/Stop"
When Unit signals and display reads "0:00," press "Start/Stop"

Using hot pads, remove bread pan
Pour jam into glass jars

Cool for 15 minutes

Cover with tight fitting lids. Refrigerate to set at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.