low sugar jam

Canning Jam and Jelly: Why canning is worth the effort

Canning & Preserving

While you can easily preserve jam and jelly by pouring them hot into sterilized jars, canning (also called “water bath canning”) offers several important advantages. The good news is, you don’t always need a special canning kettle — an ordinary large pot works just fine!

What’s the Difference Between Preserving and Canning?

When you preserve, you pour hot jam or jelly into clean jars and seal them tightly with a lid. Because jam contains a lot of sugar, that sugar acts as a natural preservative.

When you can, you heat the filled jars again in a hot water bath. This extra heating kills any remaining bacteria and creates a stronger vacuum seal. That means a longer shelf life — even for low-sugar jams.

Why Should You Can Jam and Jelly?

There are several good reasons why canning is worth the effort:

  • Lower sugar content: You can safely preserve jam with less sugar.
  • No need to sterilize jars beforehand: The canning process takes care of that.
  • Better vacuum seal: Heating pushes out trapped air, sealing jars more firmly.

Canning also gives you peace of mind: your jars are tightly sealed and safe to store for years. And you’ll almost never have to deal with mold again!

Jam and Jelly with Less (or No) Sugar

Sugar is an excellent preservative — but only when used in sufficient amounts. If you prefer a lower ratio, such as two parts fruit to one part sugar, your jam will generally keep for about six months. Want to store it much longer? Canning is the answer. Properly canned jam can stay good for several years when unopened.

If you’re using no sugar at all, or sweeteners like honey or stevia, canning becomes essential for safe preservation.

No Need to Sterilize Jars

If you plan to can your jam, there’s no need to sterilize jars in boiling water. Just make sure they’re clean — run them through the dishwasher or wash them in hot water with a bit of dish soap. Place the jars and lids on a clean towel and fill them with hot jam.

Since the jars will be heated again during canning, they’ll be automatically sterilized. That means no more fishing jars out of boiling water — saving time and reducing the risk of burns.

Better Vacuum = Longer Shelf Life

Anyone who’s made jam before knows that satisfying “pop” sound when the lids seal as the jam cools. Sometimes, though, that doesn’t happen. By canning the jars, you reheat the jam so trapped air escapes and a strong vacuum forms, extending the shelf life.

If you prefer the traditional method, you can simply re-can any jars that didn’t seal properly. If a jar still doesn’t seal after canning, there’s likely an issue with the lid or rim — check and replace it if needed.

What You Need for Canning Jam

  • A canning kettle or large stockpot
  • A thermometer
  • A kitchen towel or canning rack

Canning Jam: Step by Step

  1. Fill a large pot with water and place the filled jars inside.
  2. Make sure the jars don’t touch each other — you can place a kitchen towel on the bottom to prevent rattling.
  3. Heat the water to 90°C (195°F) and maintain that temperature for 15 minutes.
  4. Carefully remove the jars and let them cool completely.
  5. Once cool, check if the lids are concave — that means they’ve sealed properly.

If a jar hasn’t sealed, store it in the refrigerator and use it first.

Canning Without a Canning Kettle

No canning kettle? No problem! A large stockpot or soup pot works just as well, as long as you can maintain the correct temperature. A digital cooking thermometer helps ensure accuracy.

Some people even can in the oven: place the jars in a baking dish with about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and heat at 265°F (130°C) for 30 minutes.

Shelf Life and Storage

Properly canned jam keeps for at least two years when stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. Always check the vacuum before opening — a good seal means the lid is slightly concave.

If you notice mold, bubbles, or an unusual smell, it’s safest to discard the contents.

A Few Delicious Jam & Jelly Recipes

braambessen-perzikenjam
Blackberyy Peach Jam
Een glazen pot met huisgemaakte jam, gedeeltelijk gevuld, op een houten tafel, omringd door groene bladeren en bloempjes.
Jam of Black Locust Blossoms
aardbeienjam met stukken
Strawberry Jam, grandma’s recipe

Waterbath Canning and Botulism

Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by Clostridium botulinum. Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about it when making jam or jelly. The bacteria can’t survive in acidic environments, and fruit naturally contains plenty of fruit acids — even if they’re masked by sugar.

So as long as you work cleanly and seal your jars properly, the risk of botulism in fruit preserves is virtually zero.

For more information, see the official CDC page on botulism.

Why Wanning is Worth the Effort

Canning takes just a little extra time but pays off in many ways: safety, sustainability, and the deep satisfaction of a pantry filled with homemade preserves. Your jam stays good for years, even with less sugar — all without artificial additives.

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A collection of jars filled with colorful jam and jelly on display, with a metal canning tool and a pot of hot jelly in the foreground, emphasizing the theme of canning.

Check out our other canning and preserving recipes

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Homemade Grape Jam – Step-by-Step Recipe

Canning & Preserving

Grape jam is a delicious way to preserve your grape harvest. It’s full of flavor, pleasantly sweet, and has a beautiful color that depends on the type of grapes you use. Whether you have blue, red, or white grapes — they all make wonderful jam.

Ingredients

  • 2.2 lb (1 kg) grapes, preferably seedless
  • 1.1 lb (500 g) special gelling sugar (2:1)
  • 7 oz (200 g) granulated sugar, or to taste
  • 3.4 fl oz (100 ml / ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) water
  • 5 sterilized jars

Choosing the Right Grapes

You can make grape jam from all kinds of grapes — white, red, or blue, with or without seeds. Personally, I prefer seedless grapes, since the seeds tend to give the jam a slightly bitter taste.

If your grapes do have seeds, you can easily remove them: cut the grapes in half and lift out the seeds with the tip of a small paring knife. It goes quite smoothly, especially if the grapes are fully ripe.

Red grapes give a lovely red-colored jam, even though their flesh is light. The color comes mainly from the skins. Blue grapes create a deep, dark purple jam, while white grapes make a soft, light-green jam.

druiven voor druivenjam

Why Use Special Gelling Sugar (2:1)?

For this recipe, I use special gelling sugar (2:1). It contains more pectin than regular jam sugar, so you only need half as much to achieve the same firmness. The result is a jam that’s less sweet but still perfectly set.

Because you’re using less gelling sugar, you can adjust the sweetness yourself by adding a bit more or less granulated sugar. That’s especially useful for naturally sweet fruits like grapes, or if you simply prefer a jam that isn’t overly sugary.

Grapes naturally contain very little pectin, so this type of sugar is ideal. You don’t need to add apple or lemon juice to get a good set — the gelling sugar does the job for you.

How to Make Grape Jam

  1. Prepare the grapes: Remove the grapes from their stems and rinse them. Place them in a large saucepan with the water.
  2. Cook the fruit: Let the grapes simmer gently with the lid on for about 30–45 minutes, until completely soft. Make sure too much moisture doesn’t evaporate. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a splash of water.
  3. Add the sugar: Stir in the gelling sugar and the granulated sugar. Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook for 1–2 minutes, or follow the instructions on the sugar package
    .
  4. Test the jam: To check if it’s set, do the wrinkle test. Drop a little jam onto a cold plate and gently push it with your fingertip. If the surface wrinkles, it’s ready.
    If the jam is still too runny, add a few extra spoonfuls of gelling sugar and briefly boil again.
  5. Fill the jars: Pour the hot jam into sterilized jars, seal them tightly, and let them cool completely.

Your jam will keep for several months in a cool, dark place.

Tips for Best Results

When using gelling sugar, it’s important not to extend the cooking time once the sugar is added. Boil the jam briefly — usually just 1 to 2 minutes. Longer boiling can break down the pectin and prevent the jam from setting properly.

If you prefer a thicker texture, let the grapes simmer a bit longer before adding the sugar. This allows some of the liquid to evaporate and intensifies the flavor. You can then slightly reduce the amount of gelling sugar if you wish.

druivenjam

Serving Ideas and Flavor Variations

Homemade grape jam tastes wonderful on toast, pancakes, or stirred into yogurt. It’s also a great addition to a cheese board, especially with soft cheeses like Brie or Camembert.

For a richer flavor, add a small splash of red wine or port while cooking — perfect with blue grapes. You can also add some lemon zest or a pinch of cinnamon for freshness, or a hint of rosemary or thyme for a more aromatic note.

These small adjustments make it easy to create your own favorite version of grape jam.

Preserving and Canning the Jam

Would you like to store your jam for longer? You can easily can the jars after filling them. This extends the shelf life up to two years — without the need for extra sugar or preservatives.

After sealing the jars, place them in a water bath or canning kettle and heat them according to standard canning instructions. In my detailed guide on How to Can Jam and Jelly, you’ll find step-by-step directions.

More Grape Recipes

Still have grapes left over? Here are some other ways to make the most of them:

This way, you can enjoy your grape harvest all year long.

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A jar of grape jam with visible pieces of grapes, placed on a wooden surface next to a cluster of fresh grapes.

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