• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Hilda's Kitchen Blog

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Book
  • About
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Book
    • About
    • Resources
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    • Recipes
    • Book
    • About
    • Subscribe

    You Are Here Home » Jam and Preserves Recipes

    Published: Aug 29, 2021 Updated: Sep 23, 2022 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 10 Comments

    Wild Huckleberry Jam Recipe

    Sharing is caring!

    229 shares
    • Share182
    • Yummly
    • Tweet
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    huckleberry jam pin

    This Wild Huckleberry Jam recipe is made with hand-picked wild huckleberries that are cooked down with other simple ingredients to make one amazingly delicious jam. Enjoy this Huckleberry Jam on toast, ice cream, waffles, and more!

    This has been a crazy-busy summer! Although we had big plans to do a lot of huckleberry picking, we only got to go picking a few times. How am I supposed to make Huckleberry Pie, Huckleberry Cheesecake, and Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches all year?

    Luckily, we got to go out one more time last week. We took our son, Scott, on his first huckleberry picking adventure. Although we got 2-½ gallons between the three of us, my husband decided to go one more time and brought back another gallon. He's so sweet! I think I'll keep him.

    Scotty picking huckleberries
    A gallon of huckster's
    Huckleberry-stained hands.
    Jump to:
    • 🧐Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒 What You Need To Make This Recipe
    • 🔖 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
    • 🔪 Suggested Equipment
    • 🫐 How to Make Huckleberry Jam
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️Recipe FAQs
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
    • 🍓 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐Why This Recipe Works

    If you're thinking that I already had a huckleberry jam recipe on this blog, you're kind of right. My Mountain Berry Jam recipe does have huckleberries. However, it also includes serviceberries and Oregon grapes, both were non-existent this year thanks to the high heat early in the summer and the lack of rain.

    What I like about this recipe is that it doesn't require you to use a ton of your precious huckleberries AND you don't need to add other berries to the jam. All we need is one quart of huckleberries (4 cups).

    The recipe is kept pretty simple by not adding any spices like cinnamon or cardamom, which I usually love to add. I do this on purpose to allow the flavor of the delicious huckleberries to shine through.

    The pectin ensures that the jam will thicken upon cooling, even though the huckleberry jam will look very liquidy when you pour it into the jars.

    🛒 What You Need To Make This Recipe

    labeled huckleberry jam ingredients

    🔖 Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

    • Huckleberries — Fresh or frozen huckleberries may be used in this recipe.
    • Lemon — You'll need one fresh lemon to make this jam. Although you can use bottled lemon juice for this recipe, we need the zest of one fresh lemon to add to the jam.
    • Pectin — I added 4 tablespoons of RealFruit Classic Pectin, which is equal to the amount in one packet of pectin. Although I haven't personally tried it in this particular jam, liquid pectin should also do the job.
    • Butter — A teaspoon of butter can be added to reduce foaming. Another option is to skim the foam off before canning the jam.

    🔪 Suggested Equipment

    • Water Bath Canner
    • Canning Tools
    • Canning Jars

    🫐 How to Make Huckleberry Jam

    Step 1: Add cleaned huckleberries to a medium saucepan. Add water simmer for a few minutes. If using frozen berries see pro tips on the bottom of the post.

    berries being cooked in a pot

    Step 2: Add zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with pectin, whisking quickly to dissolve. Bring to a rolling boil for a few additional minutes and either skim the foam off of the surface or add 1 teaspoon of butter.

    jam being simmered
    stirring huckleberry jam
    jam about to foam over
    butter about to be whisked into jam

    Step 3: Ladle the hot huckleberry jam into sterilized jars, leaving ½" headspace. Wipe the glass jar rims with a damp cloth or napkin and hand-tighten the lids. 

    spooning huckleberry jam into jars

    Step 4: Add jars to a canner filled with water and make sure the water level is at least a few inches over the jars. Process the jam in boiling water for a minimum of 10 minutes, adding 5 additional minutes for every 1000' above 3000' in elevation.

    processing jam in boiling water
    Once a jar is filled, carefully lower into boiling water.
    3 jars of jam on the counter
    Sealed can on the bottom and unsealed jar above. See tip below.

    What if the jam doesn't set?

    If you're unsure if the jam is set, you can put a few tablespoons of jam into a small dish and place it in the refrigerator for 10+ minutes. Once the huckleberry jam is cool, you'll see what the final consistency will be like. If it's not thick enough, try one of the following:

    • Add another cup of sugar
    • Add another tablespoon of pectin
    • Reduce the jam further by cooking it longer
    small white dish with jam in it
    huckleberry jam in a small dish
    huckleberry jam on toast with more on the side
    Huckleberry Jam on toast

    🤷🏻‍♀️Recipe FAQs

    Where do huckleberries grow?

    Huckleberries grow in the Northwestern part of the United States in the Rocky Mountains. More specifically, you can find huckleberries in the mountains in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, at 3500' elevation and higher in.

    a handful of huckleberries

    What is huckleberry jam made of?

    Huckleberry Jam is made of huckleberries, lemon juice, and pectin. Sometimes cinnamon and similar spices are added for additional flavor. Other times additional fruit is added to stretch the huckleberries so that you don't need to use too many of the precious berries.

    What does huckleberry jam taste like?

    Huckleberry Jam tastes tart (from the huckleberries) and sweet (from the sugar). It is slightly reminiscent of cherry jam in both texture and taste.

    How do you thicken huckleberry jam?

    Huckleberry Jam can be thickened with pectin or by adding other fruit with higher pectin content. For example, shredded apple is sometimes added to huckleberry jam to thicken it.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

    • Fresh or frozen huckleberries can be used in this huckleberry jam recipe.
    • If using frozen huckleberries, you will not need to add water since they will release a ton of juice as they defrost. You'll only want to strain the juice (see next tip).
    • Mix the extra strained huckleberry juice with sugar or sweetener to make huckleberry juice.
    • Don't overtighten the lids before processing the jam. You can tighten the lids further after they seal.
    • Make sure you hear the lids click and/or see the indentation in the center of the lids to confirm the jars are sealed. If I find an unsealed jar, I either process it longer or put that jam jar in the refrigerator to be eaten first.

    🍓 Related Recipes

    • Lemon Blueberry Scones
    • Huckleberry Chutney with Habanero and Bacon
    • Huckleberry Cheesecake with a Brownie Crust
    • Huckleberry Sauce, Syrup, and Topping

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, 4294 TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    huckleberry jam in a jar with huckleberries on the side

    Wild Huckleberry Jam Recipe

    Tasty Huckleberry Jam with just the right amount of sugar, so it's not too sweet.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Condiments
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Process: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 5 (8 oz) jars
    Calories: 40kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Equipment

    • Water Bath Canner
    • Canning Tools Set
    • Canning Jars

    Ingredients

    • 4½ cups huckleberries
    • 2 tablespoon water
    • 4½ cups sugar
    • 1 small lemon (juiced and zested)
    • 4 tablespoon RealFruit pectin (or 1 packet)

    Instructions

    • Add cleaned huckleberries to a medium saucepan. Add water simmer for a few minutes.
    • Add zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with pectin, whisking quickly to dissolve. Bring to a rolling boil for a few additional minutes and either skim the foam off of the surface or add 1 teaspoon of butter.
    • Ladle the hot huckleberry jam into sterilized jars, leaving ½" headspace. Wipe the glass jar rims with a damp cloth or napkin and hand-tighten the lids. 
    • Add jars to a canner filled with water and make sure the water level is at least a few inches over the jars. Process the jam in boiling water for a minimum of 10 minutes, adding 5 additional minutes for every 1000' above 3000' in elevation.

    Notes

    • Fresh or frozen huckleberries can be used in this huckleberry jam recipe.
    • If using frozen huckleberries, you will not need to add water since they will release a ton of juice as they defrost. You'll only want to strain the juice (see next tip).
    • Mix the extra strained huckleberry juice with sugar or sweetener to make huckleberry juice.
    • Don't overtighten the lids before processing the jam. You can tighten the lids further after they seal.
    • Make sure you hear the lids click and/or see the indentation in the center of the lids to confirm the jars are sealed. If I find an unsealed jar, I either process it longer or put that jam jar in the refrigerator to be eaten first.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 7mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 9g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

    More Jam and Preserves Recipes

    • Canning Apple Pie Filling
    • Wild Dandelion Jelly
    • Welcome Fall Crabapple Jam (no pectin)
    • Backwoods Chokecherry Jelly

    Sharing is caring!

    229 shares
    • Share182
    • Yummly
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




       

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Terri Hout says

      August 02, 2022 at 9:06 pm

      5 stars
      I made this recipes with berries I picked yesterday. It is by far the best one I have tried.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        August 02, 2022 at 9:08 pm

        Hey Terri! I'm so glad you tried the recipe and liked it! It's one of my favorites too... I just need huckleberries! The berries are slim-pickings this year!

        Reply
    2. Aimee says

      May 07, 2022 at 7:15 pm

      I had some in the freezer from this past season. So, so delicious!!! Can’t wait to take a few for Mother’s Day!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        May 08, 2022 at 5:54 am

        Thanks, Aimee, enjoy. Also, if you don't mind, would love a star recipe rating. ❤️

        Reply
    3. Cathy says

      October 10, 2021 at 3:37 pm

      5 stars
      We love loveLOVE this jam!! I wish I could post pic of grand babies eating it up ❤️❤️

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        October 10, 2021 at 3:53 pm

        Thanks, Cathy, I appreciate the comment and review!

        Reply
    4. Ted davis says

      September 17, 2021 at 4:03 pm

      Your partly right. Wild huckleberries also grow in the Pocono mountains of pa. We have an entire field of huckleberry bushes that my family has been picking for the
      Last 58 years. There is no better pie than a home made huckleberry pie. We love everything that’s huckleberry, from jams to muffins even coffee and lip gloss.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        September 17, 2021 at 4:26 pm

        Thanks for setting me straight, Ted. That is good to know. I agree there aren't many things better than huckleberries, except maybe figs.

        Reply
    5. Hungry4Hucks says

      August 30, 2021 at 4:28 pm

      5 stars
      Not one commercial brand can compete with this one!!! Thank you Hilda.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        August 30, 2021 at 4:29 pm

        Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! Enjoy.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    profile photo-Hilda

    Hi, I'm Hilda! I'm the creator of Hilda's Kitchen Blog, author of Mom's Authentic Assyrian Recipes, and a recipe contributor to Brian Baumgartner's Seriously Good Chili Cookbook (AKA Kevin Malone, from The Office).

    Are you looking for a little inspiration in the kitchen? Let me show you how to use unique ingredients to make tasty meals for your family! more about me →

    Get My Cookbook!

    cook book on a wooden board

    Healthy Salads

    • Zesty Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
    • Tabouli (Tabbouleh) Salad Recipe
    • Green Goddess Salad Recipe
    • Oil and Vinegar Coleslaw
    • Roasted Beetroot Salad With Walnuts And Feta
    • Lebanese Fattoush Salad

    Check Out My Etsy Shop!

    montana healing salves logo

    Game Day Appetizers

    • Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe
    • Traeger Smoked Potatoes (with oven instructions)
    • How To Make An Easy Charcuterie Board
    • Smoked Cream Cheese (2 Ways)
    • Keto Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon
    • Chicken Chips: A Keto Chicken Thigh Recipe

    Featured On

    featured on

    Subscribe to Get my Latest Recipes!

    Privacy Policy

    Stay Connected

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • My Etsy Shop

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Photo & Content Sharing Policy

    LET'S CONNECT!

    • Contact Page
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage from qualifying Amazon purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 • Hildas Kitchen Blog • All rights reserved