Canning Blueberries, Blackberries (and others)

Canning blueberries, blackberries, currants, dewberries, elderberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, loganberries, mulberries, raspberries. These all can beautifully! Berries are naturally acidic, so they’re safe for water bath canning.

• If you are looking for how to can strawberries check this recipe here
• Or learn how to can cherries here.

Can you Can Frozen Berries?

While fresh berries are always my first choice, some frozen berries can work just fine too.
especially the firmer ones like blueberries. Soft berries, like raspberries, may turn a little mushy, so keep that in mind. (more on that below.) Plan for about 1½ to 2 pounds of berries per quart jar.

Raw Pack or Hot Pack? Choosing the best Method

• Raw pack simply means the berries are put into the jars raw. This works best for softer berries like raspberries or blackberries. It’s quick and simple. Easier on the fragile berries.
• Hot pack means the berries are lightly heated before packing in the jar. This is great for firmer berries like blueberries. It helps release natural juices, so you end up with less added water in the jar. More importantly firmer berries hold up to the preheating step.

Personally, I prefer the hot pack when I’m canning blueberries. I find it helps preserve flavor and texture a little better, and it draws out that lovely juice for the syrup so you’ll use less water. But I’ve done both—and either method will get the job done.

Syrup Options for Canning Berries

Make your syrup first so it’s ready to go when your jars are packed. You can use:

• Plain water (see notes about canning with no sugar below)
• Sugar syrup
• Honey syrup
• Fruit juice like apple or white grape juice. (will affect flavor)

I usually use extra light syrup. It’s sweet enough to enhance flavor, but doesn’t overpower the fruit.

Sugar Syrup Ratios:

• Extra Light: 1 cup sugar to 4½ cups water
• Light: 2 cups sugar to 4 cups water
• Medium: 3 cups sugar to 4 cups of water
• Heavy: 4 cups sugar to 4 cups water

Feel free to experiment and note which syrup you prefer for next time.

What about canning berries with No sugar?

If you’re avoiding sugar, you can do this with no sugar at all using just plain water. But you might be disappointed in the results. Sugar helps preserve the quality when you are canning. The sugar helps hold the berries together and maintains the beautiful color.

Prepping the Berries

Wash your berries. A simple rinse in a strainer is all that is usually needed. If needed, remove stems and seeds if needed the berries. Set them aside while you prepare your syrup.

What size jars works best?

You’ll notice in the recipe below that quart and pint size jars are processed for the same amount of time. If you want even smaller jars you can do half pints, but you need to process for the same amount of time as pints and quarts. Do not reduce processing time according to jar size unless the recipes specify that.

How to Can berries- Step by Step

All the nitty-gritty—how to pack your jars, leave the right headspace, remove air bubbles, lid placement, and processing times—is in the recipe card below. 

Canning Berries

How-to instructions for canning berries like blackberries, blueberries, currants, dewberries, elderberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, loganberries, mulberries, raspberries…

Print Recipe

Prep Time:30 minutes mins

Processing Quarts (adjust for altitude):15 minutes mins

Total Time:45 minutes mins

Equipment

• Water Bath Canner
• Canning Jars
• Canning Lids and Rings
• Large Pot
• Funnel, Jar Lifter, Lid Lifter, Bubble Tool
• Ladle

Ingredients

• Berries  
• Sugar for syrup

Instructions

• Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.

  See full water bath canning instructions here.  

  Make a light or medium syrup if desired.

For a Raw Pack

• Fill jar 1/4 full with syrup (or water or juice if no sugar is desired).  
• Fill half of the jar with berries, gently tapping to settle.  Key here is gently. Do not pack jars tight.
• Fill remaining space with berries leaving 1/2” headspace. 
• Cover berries with hot syrup, leaving 1/2” headspace. 
• Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and place on your seal and ring. Place the jar in the canner. Proceed to fill all jars. Process according to the chart below.  

For a Hot Pack

• Barely cover berries with water or syrup and bring to a boil. 
• Drain, reserving the resulting juice.  
• Fill jar with berries and cover with juice from boiling, leaving 1/2” headspace.  
• Remove air bubbles. Wipe the rim clean and place on your seal and ring. Place the jar in the canner. Proceed to fill all jars.

Process the jars:

• Jars should be covered by at least 1 inch of water.
• Bring to a rolling boil and process according to the chart below. (adjustments in the recipe card below)
• When your time is done, turn off the heat and let the canner rest for 5-10 minutes.

Cool and store:

• Remove jars from canner and let cool on a towel for 12-24 hours. I do overnight.
• Check seals—lids should not flex up and down.
• Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place. Don’t forget to label them!

Notes

Processing Time with a Water Bath Canner

Raw Pack

• Altitude – Pints – Quarts  
• 0-1,000 ft – 15 minutes – 20 minutes 
• 1,001-3,000 ft – 20 minutes – 25 minutes 
• 3,001-6,000 ft – 20 minutes – 30 minutes 
• Above 6,000 ft – 25 minutes – 35 minutes 

Hot Pack

• Altitude – Pints and Quarts are Processed the Same 
• 0-1,000 ft – 15 minutes 
• 1,001-3,000 ft – 20 minutes 
• 3,001-6,000 ft – 20 minutes 
• Above 6,000 ft – 25 minutes 

Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation

Servings: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds berries per quart

Author: Sharon Peterson

Canning Tips & FAQs

Can I Use Frozen Berries for canning?

Yes—if they’re firm (like blueberries). Very soft frozen berries can break down during canning and turn to mush, so use with care. If your berries from the freezer have sugar on them, rinse while still frozen, then defrost.

Why Not Strawberries?

Strawberries don’t hold up well to canning. They get mushy and lose flavor. They weren’t tested for this method from the NCFHFP. However Bernardin (a safe resource) does have a recipe for canning strawberries. I tried it… learn what happened here. (Yes I had a bit of mush)

Canning Berry Jam

Berry Jam is another great option for using up excess berries. I’ve got a list of jam or jelly recipes here to check out.

Altitude Adjustments

Always adjust processing time for your altitude. If you’re unsure, check out my altitude adjustments page.

canning process Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation