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How to Can Blueberries
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3.73 from 22 votes

Canning Blueberries

Canning blueberries is so easy! Learn how to can blueberries in a pressure or waterbath canner either in syrup or just water.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Waterbath Processing15 minutes
Course: Pantry Staple
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blueberries, Canning Blueberries, canning recipe
Servings: 8 pints
Calories: 485kcal
Author: Cery

Equipment

  • Pressure Canner
  • Waterbath canner
  • Pint jars and rings
  • New lids
  • Canning Tools

Ingredients

  • blueberries ~ about 3 pounds of fresh berries gives you 1 quart of canned
  • filtered water or syrup*
  • canning jars
  • new lids & rings
  • jar lifter
  • magnetic lid wand
  • pressure canner or waterbath canner

Syrup for canning blueberries

  • extra light syrup ~ 1 cup sugar (or honey) to 4 cups water
  • light syrup ~ 2 cups sugar (or honey) to 4 cups water
  • medium syrup ~ 3 cups sugar (or honey) to 4 cups water
  • heavy syrup ~ 4 3/4 cups sugar (or honey) to 4 cups water

Instructions

Making the Syrup

  • Dissolve the sugar or honey in the water in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the syrup to a boil then remove it from the heat and keep hot until needed.

Getting Prepped

  • Prepare your jars. Make sure they are clean and keep them hot until needed. Prepare your lids following the manufacturer's instructions.
  • Put the berries in the sink with enough water to cover. Swish them around in the water to wash off any dirt.
  • Remove any stems that might be still attached. Then I put them into a strainer over the sink to drain.

Cold (or Raw) Pack Method

  • In the cold pack (or raw pack) method, you pack the cleaned blueberries into one hot jar at a time leaving a 1/2 inch of headspace.
  • Then fill the jar with boiling water or syrup, again, leaving a 1/2" headspace.
  • Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth, and seat the lids.
  • Then put on the rings, tightening them to finger tight.

Hot Pack Method

  • In the hot pack method, you put the blueberries into the boiling water or syrup for about a minute, then pack them into the hot jars.
  • Leave a 1/2" of headspace and then fill the jars with the boiling water or syrup.
  • Wipe the rim of the jar, seat the lids, and put the rings on finger tight.

In a Pressure Canner

  • Add the amount of water to your canner that your directions tell you to.
  • Put the jars in the canner, then put on the lid and lock it.
  • Exhaust the air for the length of time specified in your instruction manual.
  • Add the weight and process at 6 pounds of pressure for 8 minutes for half pints, pints, 1 1/2 pints, and quarts.
  • Make sure you adjust pressure according to your altitude.
  • After processing time, remove the canner from the heat and allow to cool on it's own. When the pressure has dropped to zero, carefully remove the lid.

In a Waterbath Canner

  • Place your jars into the water bath canner, add hot water until the jars are covered by 1 to 2 inches and put the lid on.
  • Bring the water to a full rolling boil, and process for 15 minutes for half pints and pints, and 20 minutes for 1 1/2 pints and quarts.
  • Make sure you adjust processing time according to your altitude.

After Processing

  • After processing, remove the jars from the canner lifting the jars straight up. Put the jars on a towel covered cabinet out of drafts, and leave undisturbed for a minimum of 12 hours.
  • After 12 hours, check the seals. If the seals are good, remove the rings, wash the jars, and label and date them.
  • If the jars are not sealed, you can reprocess them with new lids or simply refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.

Notes

When stored in a cool, dark place, canned goods can stay good for several years.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pint | Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 124g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 524mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 93g | Vitamin A: 367IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg