Low Sugar Berry Jam Canning Recipe

Enjoy the taste of summer year-round with this naturally thickened Low Sugar Berry Jam made with ClearJel® and a blend of your favorite berries. This easy home canning recipe reduces sugar without sacrificing texture or flavor, letting the true sweetness of the fruit shine through. Perfect for spreading on toast, baking into pastries, or spooning over desserts, this jam delivers pure berry bliss with every bite.

(I sometimes use affiliate links in my content. This will not cost you anything but it helps me offset my costs to keep creating new canning recipes. Thank you for your support.)

By Diane Devereaux | The Canning Diva® 
Last updated: October 4, 2025

Key Takeaways

• ClearJel® allows for a reduced-sugar jam without losing its thick, jam-like texture.
• Pomona’s Universal Pectin offers another option for low-sugar or no-sugar recipes.
• This jam holds its shape beautifully when baked into muffins, crumbles, and pies.

History of Traditional Jam and Sugar Ratios

For generations, home canners relied on recipes calling for 8 to 9 cups of sugar to achieve a proper gel in homemade jams. Before products like ClearJel® and Pomona’s Pectin were available, sugar was the only means of drawing water from fruit and creating the thick, glossy texture that defined a successful homemade berry jam. The high sugar content wasn’t for preservation alone—it was essential to the chemistry of natural pectin found in fruit.

However, as our understanding of food science evolved, so did our preferences. Many of us no longer wish to ingest that much sugar or mask the natural flavor of ripe fruit. Modern options like low sugar berry jam and less sugar jam recipes let us enjoy the true taste of the fruit while still producing a beautiful, safe gel perfect for canning berry jam at home.

How to Thicken Jam with Less Sugar

There’s something special about having homemade berry jam lining your pantry shelves. Once you’ve tasted the vibrant, fresh flavor of a home-canned jam, it’s hard to go back to store-bought. For many, the high sugar content of traditional jam recipes is a deterrent—but that’s easily solved.

By using ClearJel®, a modified cornstarch approved for home canning, we can safely reduce sugar while maintaining the jam’s thickness and stability. ClearJel® is a modified cornstarch derived from corn and is used by home-canners and bakers across the globe! It is approved for home-canning because of its ability to handle high temperatures, its viscosity retention when heating and reheating so it resists thinning, and work harmoniously with acidic ingredients. It also supports safe heat transfer during processing.

Alternatively, Pomona’s Universal Pectin provides a natural, sugar-free option so you may lower the amount of sugar in a home canning recipes. Pomona’s Universal Pectin is a sugar-free, low-methoxyl citrus pectin that’s used to thicken jams, jellies, and other home canning recipes. Made from the dried peels of lemons, limes, and oranges, Pomona’s Pectin is 100% pure citrus pectin. It also contains calcium powder. Vegan, gluten-free, GMO-free, and kosher. It’s preservative-free and doesn’t contain additives, sugar, dextrose, corn, or apple by-products. Both products make it possible to enjoy delicious, fruit-forward jams with less sugar and no compromise on safety or flavor.

Low Sugar Berry Jam Canning Recipe

Makes approx. 5 half-pint jars

I use this recipe when making all of my jams and preserves. What I love most is you actually can taste the amazing flavors of the berries instead of getting lost in all the sugar when compared to traditional jams/preserves. I have found so many uses for this jam, especially when baking!

Ingredients

• 4 cups crushed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, crushed cherries), fresh or frozen/thawed
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 7 Tbsp cook-type ClearJel, or Pomona’s Pectin
• 1 ½ to 2 cups raw sugar, to taste

Instructions

1. Using a colander, clean your berries being sure to remove any stems and suspect berries.  In a medium sized bowl, working in batches, use a potato masher and crush the berries. Measure crushed berries and some of their juice.  Continue this process until a full 4 cups is achieved.
2. Place crushed berries in a stainless steel stock pot.  Add lemon juice and stir.  Measure ¼ cup of the sugar and stir in the ClearJel® or pectin. Add mixture to the berries and mix well. Bring contents to a boil using medium-high heat and stir constantly. Add remaining sugar and return to a boil. Set timer and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
3. Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars leaving a 1/4-inch of headspace. Remove any trapped air pockets and add additional jam if necessary to maintain the 1/4-inch headspace.
4. Using a warm washcloth dipped in vinegar, wipe jar rims and screw bands. Place sterilized lids and rings atop each jar and hand tighten.
5. Place jars in rack inside the water bather being sure jars are fully submerged in hot water. Process jars for 10 minutes.  Remember, processing time doesn’t begin until water is at a full rolling boil.

Low Sugar Berry Jam Canning Recipe

Recipe by The Canning Diva

5.0 from 1 vote

Servings

5 half-pints

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

I use this recipe when making all of my jams and preserves. What I love most is you actually can taste the amazing flavors of the berries instead of getting lost in all the sugar when compared to traditional jams/preserves. I have found so many uses for this jam, especially when baking!

Ingredients

US Metric

• 4 cups 4 crushed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, crushed cherries)

• ¼ cup lemon juice

• 7 Tbsp 7 cook-type ClearJel, or Pomona’s Pectin

• 1 1 ½ to 2 cups raw sugar, to taste

Instructions

• Using a colander, clean your berries being sure to remove any stems and suspect berries.  In a medium sized bowl, working in batches, use a potato masher and crush the berries. Measure crushed berries and some of their juice.  Continue this process until a full 4 cups is achieved.
• Place crushed berries in a stainless steel stock pot.  Add lemon juice and stir.  Measure ¼ cup of the sugar and stir in the ClearJel® or pectin. Add mixture to the berries and mix well. Bring contents to a boil using medium-high heat and stir constantly. Add remaining sugar and return to a boil. Set timer and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars leaving a 1/4-inch of headspace. Remove any trapped air pockets and add additional jam if necessary to maintain the 1/4-inch headspace.
• Using a warm washcloth dipped in vinegar, wipe jar rims and screw bands. Place sterilized lids and rings atop each jar and hand tighten.
• Place jars in rack inside the water bather being sure jars are fully submerged in hot water. Process jars for 10 minutes.  Remember, processing time doesn’t begin until water is at a full rolling boil.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @canningdiva on Instagram and hashtag it with #thecanningdiva

Like this recipe?

Follow @canningdiva on Pinterest

People Often Ask

About the Author:
Diane Devereaux, The Canning Diva®, is an internationally recognized food preservation expert, author, and educator with over 30 years of home canning experience. She’s the author of multiple top-selling canning books and teaches workshops across the U.S. Learn more at TheCanningDiva.com.

Summer in a Jar

Pineapple Butter Canning Recipe