Blackberry Jelly Recipe - No Pectin, Sugar Only (2024)

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February 25, 2019 by Victoria 31 Comments

Learn how to make and can blackberry jelly from fresh blackberries. This blackberry jelly recipe is made with sugar and without pectin or Sure Jell.

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Fresh blackberry jelly is a seasonal delight around here since we have 40+ blackberry bushes that explode with fruit for about 4 weeks in the spring. I usually stay inside washing and canning juice and jelly while my husband is out harvesting all the blackberries.

I used to feel bad about that and thinking that I should be helping him. But he gets to be out in the fresh air for about an hour while I'm standing at the hot stove for 4-6 hours at a time! Ha!

However don't be discouraged, I'm usually canning several gallons of jelly every day for weeks, so your blackberry jelly canning experience it likely going to be much easier!

Even still, I wouldn't trade it for the world, because this recipe is such a treat for us throughout the entire year! Our favorite way to eat this blackberry jelly is on warm homemade biscuits or freshly baked bread!

How to Can Homemade Blackberry Jelly

One of the reasons we make blackberry jelly instead of blackberry jam is for my dad who suffers with diverticulitis which is often triggered by seeds and nuts.

It's been a few years since we ditched blackberry jam and we haven't looked back! One of my favorite things about this jelly is that it's a great replacement for concord jelly without having to buy a bunch of grapes!

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Making Juice for Blackberry Jelly

Before you can make blackberry jelly you need to first make blackberry juice. This is really simple to do and only take a few minutes.

Wash the berries and remove leaves and bugs as best you can (I don't worry if there are a few bugs in the berries).
Put the berries in a sauce pan and add a splash of water in the bottom. Crush the berries thoroughly.
Cover the berries with a lid and place over medium heat.
Check the berries after about 15 minutes. Heat until the berries are soft, then start to mash them with whatever you have on hand.
Strain through a cheesecloth or fine mesh.

Once you have your juice you can continue on with the recipe below.

NOTE: I give the mash to my chickens, but you can use them for fruit leather similar to this strawberry zucchini fruit leather. If you are going to use the strained berry mash for other food products, make sure you thoroughly clean all leaves, twigs, and bugs from the berries before boiling them.

What temperature is the gelling point?

Gelling point at sea level: Take the temperature of the jelly with a candy or jelly thermometer. The gelling point at sea level is 220°, 8° above boiling.

Above sea level: For each 1000 feet of altitude above sea level, subtract 2 degrees F. For example: at 1,000 feet of altitude, the jelly is done at 218°F; at 2,000 feet, 216°F, etc