Old Fashion Mixed Berry Jam – Bumbleberry jam (No Pectin)

Summer is the best time to make a mixed berry jam when blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are in abundance. Low in sugar and made without any pectin or artificial flavoring, this jam takes only 30 minutes to make. It is also commonly known as bumbleberry jam. It’s a must-try jam if you love berries.

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I grew up calling this jam a mixed berry jam because that’s what it is – a jam made with mixed berries. A few years ago, an American friend told me this is called a bumbleberry jam.

Bumbleberry isn’t actually a berry at all. It’s a name used for a mixture of berries and sometimes other fruits. Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries are a popular combination, especially when they’re all in season.

Why have one berry when you can have them all? So, today, I’m using four berries.

Why make this jam?

• Simple and beginner-friendly – If you’ve never made homemade jam before, this is an easy place to start.
• No canning required – Make a small batch and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. If you want shelf-stable jam, use a tested water-bath canning method.
• No added pectin – The fruit contains natural pectin, and lemon juice provides acidity that helps the jam set while balancing the sweetness.
• Lower in sugar – I use about half as much sugar as fruit, so the flavor of the berries remains the star.

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Step-by-step: Mixed Berry Jam Recipe

• Prepare for testing – Place two small ceramic plates in the freezer. You’ll use these later to check whether the jam has set. Alternatively, have a candy thermometer ready.
• Prepare the berries – Sort the berries and discard any moldy or spoiled fruit. Rinse briefly and drain well. Hull the strawberries and cut any large ones into smaller pieces.
  Pro tip: If using frozen berries, you can use them directly from frozen. They may take a little longer to come to a boil.

• Combine – Add the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt to a heavy-bottom saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.

• Mash the fruit – Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Use a potato masher to crush the berries to your preferred consistency. Leave some pieces of fruit if you like a chunkier jam.

• Cook until thickened – Continue to simmer for about 20–30 minutes, stirring frequently, especially as the jam begins to thicken.
  Pro tip: Cooking time will vary depending on the width of your pan, the fruit, and the heat, so use the set test rather than relying only on time.

• Cold-plate test – Spoon a teaspoon of jam onto one of the chilled plates. Let it sit for 2–3 minutes, then push it gently with your finger. If the surface wrinkles and the jam doesn’t immediately flow back together, it’s ready. If not, cook for another few minutes and test again.

• Thermometer test – Alternatively, use a candy thermometer. The jam should reach about 220°F (104°C) at sea level. The setting temperature will be lower at higher elevations.

• Fill the jars – Remove the jam from the heat and ladle it into clean, warm jars. Let it cool before covering and refrigerating. If you’re processing the jam for shelf storage, leave ¼-inch headspace and follow proper water-bath canning instructions.

Storage and Make Ahead

• Refrigerator: Store the cooled jam in clean, airtight jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Always use a clean spoon when serving.
• Freezer: Freeze the jam in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months, leaving some space at the top for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
• Make ahead: This jam is ideal for making ahead. Once cooked, let it cool completely before refrigerating or freezing.
• Shelf storage: For room-temperature storage, the jam must be processed using a tested water-bath canning recipe appropriate for the fruit, jar size, and altitude. Refrigerate after opening.

How to Can Mixed Berry Jam

The recipe above is my lower-sugar mixed berry jam, using 500 g sugar for 1 kg of berries. I prefer it this way because you get more of the fresh berry flavor without an overly sweet jam.

If you want to water-bath can the jam for shelf-stable storage, use a tested canning formula rather than simply canning the lower-sugar version.
For a no-pectin berry jam, the National Center for Home Food Preservation uses:
9 cups crushed berries + 6 cups sugar. You can use raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or a combination of berries.

Canning process

• Increase the sugar – Prepare the jam using the tested ratio of 9 cups crushed berries to 6 cups sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the jam reaches its setting point.
• Prepare the jars – Use clean, hot canning jars. If processing for only 5 minutes, the jars need to be pre-sterilized.
• Fill the jars – Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles if necessary, wipe the rims, and apply the lids and bands.
• Process – Place the jars in a boiling-water canner and process half-pint or pint jars for 5 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 10 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft, or 15 minutes above 6,000 ft.
• Cool and check – Remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check the seals before storing and refrigerate any jars that haven’t sealed.

Important: The extra sugar isn’t just about making the jam sweeter. When you’re making jam for shelf-stable canning, follow the tested fruit-to-sugar ratio and processing instructions rather than reducing the sugar in the tested formula.

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Tips for Success

• Use a mix of ripe berries – The balance of raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries gives this jam its flavor. You can change the proportions depending on what you have.
• Use a wide, heavy-bottom pan – The larger surface area helps moisture evaporate efficiently, while the heavy base reduces the chance of scorching.
• Don’t rely only on cooking time – Different berries contain different amounts of water, so one batch may take longer than another. Use the chilled-plate or thermometer test to check the set.
• Remember it thickens as it cools – The jam should still be slightly loose while hot. If you cook it until very thick in the pan, it may become too firm once cooled.
• Stir more often toward the end – As the jam reduces and thickens, it can catch on the bottom of the pan quickly.
• Making a double batch – You can double the recipe, but use a wide enough pan and expect it to take longer to reduce and reach the setting point.

Easy jam recipes

• Strawberry Jam – No Pectin (3 ingredients)
• Apricot Jam – No Pectin (3 ingredients)
• Cherry Jam – No Pectin (3 ingredients)
• Apricot Peach Jam – No-Pectin (just 3 ingredients)

Troubleshooting

Problem	Possible cause	Solution
Jam is too runny	It hasn’t cooked long enough or hasn’t fully cooled	Let it cool completely first. If still too loose, return it to the pan and cook a little longer, then test again.
Jam didn’t set	It didn’t reach the setting point	Reheat and cook until it passes the chilled-plate test or reaches about 220°F (104°C) at sea level.
Jam is too thick	It was cooked too long	Warm gently with a small amount of water or lemon juice until it reaches the consistency you want.
Jam burned on the bottom	Heat was too high or it wasn’t stirred enough	Use a heavy-bottom pan and stir frequently, especially as the jam begins to thicken.
Jam is too sweet or tart	The natural sweetness of the berry mixture varies	Add a little lemon juice if it’s too sweet. For refrigerator jam, add a little more sugar if it’s too tart.

Frequently asked questions

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More jam recipes

• Fresh Fig Jam – No Pectin (just 3 ingredients)
• Microwave Strawberry Jam – No Pectin
• Blueberry Jam – No Pectin (3 ingredients)
• See all jam recipes

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