This gorgeous saskatoon jelly is sweet, fruity, and so easy to prepare! It's also known as serviceberry jelly and juneberry jelly depending on what part of the county you're from. If you're looking for more saskatoon berry recipes, make sure to try my saskatoon berry jam!
Saskatoon berries (also called serviceberries, juneberries, and western shadbush) are often overlooked by foragers. I think it's mostly because they contain a lot of tiny seeds and don't have a strong flavor like huckleberries. Although serviceberries have a more mild flavor, they do get much sweeter as they ripen and get darker.
I'm not exaggerating when I say we probably have hundreds of these shrubs on our property! Whether I'm walking the dogs or heading to the garden, I always stop to pick a handful when they're in season. This year, however, I'm having to share them with my chickens, who, as it turns out, absolutely LOVE them!
Since this was another bumper crop year, I made two batches of wine and had just enough to come up with this batch of this serviceberry jelly. So far it's gotten rave reviews!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Saskatoon berries are much easier to pick than other berries. Since they grow on tall shrubs or trees you don't need to be crouched (like when picking huckleberries). They also grow in clusters, which means you can pick them much faster!
- Making saskatoon/serviceberry jelly is a great way to utilize these often overlooked berries, especially if you don't like to eat them because they have seeds.
- Since you can't go to the store to buy saskatoon berry jelly, it makes a great gift for your friends!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Saskatoon Berries: Fresh or frozen
- Sugar: Granulated sugar
- Pectin: RealFruit Classic Pectin
- Lemon Juice: Fresh or bottled
🫐 How to Make Saskatoon Jelly
Step 1 (optional): If you plan to can your jelly, prepare a water bath canner by completely covering eight 4-ounce mason jars with water, then boiling them for 10 minutes. Keep the jars in the hot water until needed. The lids can be added a few minutes before you need them.
Step 2: Wash saskatoons and remove any stems as well as dried or underripe berries. Add to a six-quart Dutch oven and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Smash the fruit with a masher to release the berry juice.
Step 3: Strain the berry juice through a fine sieve lined with a few layers of cheesecloth, or use a jelly bag. You should have approximately 3 cups of juice. If not, add enough cherry or cranberry juice to equal 3 cups total.
Step 4: Clean Dutch oven and return to the stove. Pour strained juice back into it. Turn heat up to medium, then whisk in RealFruit Classic Pectin until dissolved. Bring to a hard boil for one full minute. Skim foam from surface. I like to use a skimmer to do this.
Step 5: Add lemon juice and sugar, then whisk over medium heat to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil for two minutes. Turn off stove, then ladle saskatoon jelly into sterilized jars, leaving ¼-½" headspace. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth or paper towel and hand-tighten collars.
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🫙 Canning Instructions
Add saskatoon jelly jars to a hot water canner and make sure the water level is at least a few inches above the jars. Process the filled jars based on the chart below:
| Altitude | Gel Point |
|---|---|
| 1000'-3000' | 5 minutes |
| 3001'-6000' | 10 minutes |
| 6001'-8000' | 15 minutes |
Pro Tip: Jelly needs to fully cool to set and may take up to 24 hours. Don't move the jars until the jelly has set.
🍷 Other Saskatoon Berry Recipes
Every year, I try to come up with more saskatoon berry recipes. Besides enjoying these berries fresh, I also use them to make a delicious mixed berry jam with huckleberries and Oregon grape. You can also use these berries to make an old fashioned saskatoon pie!
Saskatoons also make an exceptional wine! As a matter of fact, recently when I had family in town, they preferred the saskatoon wine over all the other wines they tried. This included lilac wine (my personal favorite), elderberry wine, and chokecherry wine.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Saskatoon berries (Canadian name) are known by many names! In the US, they are often referred to as serviceberries, sarvissberry, Juneberries, and western shadbush.
Unlike huckleberries, saskatoons are mostly sweet and have a slight almond extract flavor. They can be compared in flavor to blueberries. Some varieties have more seeds than others, but the seeds are tiny and can be consumed along with the berries.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- It is generally recommended to let the berry juice drip into the bowl, undisturbed. Squeezing the berries may cause the jelly to be cloudy. I squeeze the fruit to extract as much fruit as possible, and no one has complained yet!
- Store unsealed jars in the fridge for up to a few months or until consumed.
- Sealed and processed serviceberry jelly can be stored in the pantry for up to a year.
🍓 Related Recipes
If you enjoy this saskatoon berry jelly recipe, be sure to check out these other related recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Saskatoon Jelly
Equipment
- 6-qt Dutch oven
- 8 four ounce jars
- 1 canner (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 cups saskatoon berries
- 4 cups water
- 3 Tbs RealFruit Pectin
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
- 3 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
Optional Step
- If you plan to can your jelly, prepare a water bath canner by completely covering eight 4-ounce mason jars with water, then boiling them for 10 minutes. Keep the jars in the hot water until needed. The lids can be added a few minutes before you need them.
Prepare Jelly
- Wash saskatoons and remove any stems as well as dried or underripe berries. Add to a six-quart Dutch oven and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Smash the fruit with a masher to release the berry juice.
- Strain the berry juice through a fine sieve lined with a few layers of cheesecloth, or use a jelly bag. You should have approximately 3 cups of juice. If not, add enough cherry or cranberry juice to equal 3 cups total.
- Clean Dutch oven and return to the stove. Pour strained juice back into it. Turn heat up to medium, then whisk in RealFruit Classic Pectin until dissolved. Bring to a hard boil for one full minute. Skim foam from surface. I like to use a skimmer to do this.
- Add lemon juice and sugar, then whisk over medium heat to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil for two minutes. Turn off stove, then ladle jelly into sterilized jars, leaving ¼-½" headspace. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth or paper towel and hand-tighten collars.
Canning Instructions
- Add jars to a hot water canner and make sure the water level is at least a few inches above the jars. Process the filled jars in boiling water based on the processing time by elevation chart in this post.
Notes
- Jelly needs to fully cool to set and may take up to 24 hours. Don't move the jars until the jelly has set.
- It is generally recommended to let the berry juice drip into the bowl, undisturbed. Squeezing the berries may cause the jelly to be cloudy. I squeeze the fruit to extract as much fruit as possible, and no one has complained yet!
- Store unsealed jars in the fridge for up to a few months or until consumed.
- Sealed and processed serviceberry jelly can be stored in the pantry for up to a year.
Kathy Fisher says
In our neck of the woods they're called service berries. The deer and moose go crazy over them. And I am crazy about this fantastic jelly. In our family the reason for having toast is to pile jelly on top. This jelly recipe is over the top, over the moon, and just plain good. You won't be disappointed. Thanks Hilda
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Kathy Fisher! I'm so glad you liked it! I really appreciate the review too! 😘