This is how to make homemade huckleberry jam without pectin on the stove or Instant Pot is! Made with fresh fruit, chia seeds and agave nectar, it is great treat on toast or bagels. One of our favorite huckleberry recipes yet.
Homemade jam with wild huckleberries is amazing. If you’re wondering how to make homemade jam it is literally the easiest thing in the world. You may never buy jarred ever again after this. Using fresh or frozen fruit you can make this on the stove or in a pressure cooker.
If you want to make this in a pot on your stovetop, follow along here. BUT if you are looking to make pressure cooker jam <—— go to this post and follow those directions instead. Either way you only need a few ingredients and it thickens up nicely in the fridge.
Then you can enjoy immediately or can so it will last for years. Served on top of a piece of toast, bagel or dollop on top of a bowl of oatmeal it’s our favorite flavor.
If you wanted to use other fruits you could with this same process essentially. Now our plum jelly we used pectin instead of seeds which is a quick way to thicken.
Huckleberry Jam Ingredients
Ideally you will want about 3 cups wild huckleberries to make a batch of jam. Ours had been picked off bushes (ideal) or you can buy a container at the store. They should be big and plump, firm meaning they are as fresh as possible with a lot of juice inside.
Can you use frozen huckleberries?
You could do it this way but it will take a bit longer because you want to brush off any large clumps of ice first. Then use your hands to break them apart so you aren’t adding in large clumps where the outside berries cook down faster than the middle ones causing an uneven texture. This may be a bit more watery too because it releases a bit of water when defrosting in the pan.
Could you add other berries?
Yes you could easily use this same recipe with fresh blueberries, blackberries, raspberries as well as these. A combination of a few of these makes a great wild berry combination too.
Agave nectar used here, though you could use pure maple sugar instead. You can add a bit of sugar, Stevia or liquid sugar to sweeten instead to make it sugar free if desired.
How to Thicken Jam without Pectin
I think that adding chia seeds is great for increasing the nutrition but also this is a great substitution to pectin as they expand and thicken the jam well. You can use cornstarch too but the texture isn’t as great. OR, surprisingly enough lemons will actually “set” your jam. For each quart of jelly, add approximately 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice. It will continue to thicken in the fridge too so allow it to sit for 24 hours before using.
I like to add some vanilla extract, just a tad for flavor but it is optional. If you have only used pectin to thicken homemade jam you are in for a treat. There is a lot of nutrition in chia seeds and is an alternative to that that works really well.
How Long to Cook Huckleberry Jam on Stove
Making this on your stove only takes about 20 minutes total. Cooling it to room temperature takes a while though so don’t be in a hurry. You need time for the berries to burst to release juices. With this basic recipe you can make just about any fruit flavor you like.
Instant Pot Huckleberry Jam
Under high pressure you only need 1 minute to cook but 10 minutes to release the steam naturally, slowly. In total with the time it takes to reach pressure it is about 20 minutes total so about the same but you don’t have to tend to it so I would say it is easier.
Huckleberry Jam Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
- 3 cup huckleberries, rinsed and dried
- 1/4 cup agave nectar, or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp sugar, use if you want it sweeter
Instructions
- Over medium heat put berries and agave in a pot. Heat until berries soften and start to break down.
- Add chia seeds and sugar, continue stirring slowly until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. The longer you allow it to cook on a slow rolling boil the thicker it will get. Taste, if you want it sweeter you could add some sugar or stevia.
- Remove from heat, add vanilla, stir. Allow to cool completely and taste. If you want it sweeter add a bit of liquid sugar. Then transfer to glass jars to refrigerate. It will continue to thicken as it gets colder.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Canning Instructions
If you want this to last as long as possible, a few years, you are going to want to read up on how to can jam in a regular (not electric) pressure cooker to kill bacteria so you can store in a cool area in a pantry to enjoy for years.
Other easy huckleberry recipes you’ll love
Love this?? Now try our huckleberry muffins for breakfast tomorrow! And a batch of huckleberry cobbler needs to come next.
How long does homemade jam last?
If you can it properly it will last up to 2 years. Other than that if it is just put into jars in your fridge you can use it for up to 3 months. Then you can use it on your homemade white bread with toast. Once you have the hang of this you can make savory versions too like our green pepper jelly and more.
Can I freeze the Huckleberry Jam recipe?
I haven’t tried it, but I imagine you could.