This easy slow cooker blueberry jam gets an earthy twist from a bit of fresh thyme. This crock pot jam is perfect on crostini appetizers, as a topping for fish or chicken, or on your morning toast! Vegetarian, Vegan.
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I’m writing this post from 36,000 feet while on a plane to Phoenix (YAY TECHNOLOGY). I’ve also been up since 3am, so if my writing gets a little…off-track? Just roll with it.
It’s the beginning of a whirlwind month for me – first, I’m spending a few days at a conference in Arizona to talk about and fundraising and event coordinating and strategic planning and all my faaaaaavorite (seriously) organizational/administrative things (COLOR CODING 4 LYFE).
Then I’m off to Oregon for THE WHOLE REST OF AUGUST. I’m meeting with some clients in person, hanging out with my family, soaking up enough Portland to last me the next year or so, and taking press visits to local farms, fisheries, and food artisan hubs in PDX and elsewhere in the Pac-NW.
I’ll be taking lots (and lots and lots and lots) of pictures, writing about food systems in the Northwest for both Life As A Strawberry and The Sustainable Seafood Blog Project, and eating ALL.OF.THE.THINGS.
But I think the point of this post is to tell you about jam, yes? THIS jam ⬇️⬇️⬇️.
I loved the strawberry basil slow cooker jam I made last year so much that I decided to give it a whirl with a blueberry jam and thyme combo.
Now, confession: I am not a blueberry person. Like, AT ALL. But then my friend Megan (HI MEGAN) gifted me a giant bag of blueberries, and they sat in my fridge just staring at me for a few days before it occurred to me to cook them down with some sugar and herbs and slather them on bread (along with a heap o’ goat cheese, you know how I do).
Fresh blueberries are fun because you can pick them up at the farmer’s market in nifty little containers, but frozen blueberries work just as well.
If you’re not a fan of chunky jam (*raises own hand*) give the final product a whirl in the blender to smooth it out and make it more spreadable.
I served this blueberry jam with crostini topped with a shmear of goat cheese (can you say shmear when it’s goat cheese? Or does it have to be cream cheese? Shmear police assemble!) and it was kind of awesome. Kyle and I actually liked the combo so much that we forewent real dinner and instead ate a meal’s worth of these crostini jam guys. And then I bought more bread and ate it again for breakfast yesterday. #CantStopWontStop
The thyme in this jam is mellow – it lends a deep, earthy flavor but doesn’t jump out and smack you in the face. I loved this combo, and the tartness of the goat cheese we paired it with just took it over the top. PLUS, this is slow cooker blueberry thyme jam, which means it takes maybe twenty seconds to throw together and won’t produce any excessive stovetop heat (it is summer, after all).
Happy jamming, friends!
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PinDescription
Easy blueberry jam made in the slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 4 tsp. lemon juice
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2/3 cup sugar
Instructions
- Toss all ingredients together in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.
- After 2-3 hours, remove slow cooker cover and stir jam. Cook uncovered for an additional 2-3 hours until jam has thickened to your desired consistency. Serve immediately with crostini and goat cheese (pictured) or let cool and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
For a smoother jam, give finished jam a whirl in a blender to break up any large pieces of blueberry. You could also use a potato masher or immersion blender.
Use frozen blueberries if fresh aren’t in season.
This jam freezes well! I like to put it in small mason jars and freeze to use throughout the year.
This recipe has not been scientifically tested to determine pH levels or its acceptability for canning. If you would like to preserve it, I recommend freezing.
For a processed-sugar-free version, use pure maple syrup in place of the sugar! I recommend using 1/3 cup since you don’t want the maple to overpower the berries.
Make this jam recipe in a saucepan on the stove if you don’t want to use a slow cooker. Cook it over low heat for up to an hour – keep an eye on it as it will cook much more quickly on the stove than in the slow cooker.
Use any berries you like in place of the blueberries – I love making slow cooker jams because it saves me from having to turn on the stove in the hot weather!
This jam does better in smaller slow cookers. If you have a large slow cooker, you may need to reduce the cooking time – just keep an eye on it!
This recipe is very forgiving – halve it for less jam or double it for extra!
This jam makes a great topping for French Toast or your favorite biscuits!
Tried this recipe tonight using frozen blueberries. I found it to be extremely runny after 5 hours in the slow cooker. I would cut the amount from 4C to 3C as frozen berries produce more liquids. Other than that it smells and tastes wonderful! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
And for those asking, yes it can be canned using the water bath method & stored for up to a year.
Cheers
C
Has anyone tried with frozen blueberries? Any changes to make to recipe if frozen used?
You can totally use frozen blueberries here! You may just need to extend the cooking time a little bit if it looks too thin.
can this recipe be canned as well as refrigerated?
This recipe has not been tested for canning but I often keep it in small jars in the freezer to save it throughout the year!
can this be frozen or canned?
Definitely! I always freeze a container or two of this when I make it in the summer so we can use it all year long – it holds up really well in the freezer. I’m not a canning expert, so if you decide to can, just follow proper canning procedures.
what size slow cooker? Thanks.
My slow cooker is on the smaller side, maybe 3 or 4 quarts? You can use any size you like, though – the blueberries release quite a bit of liquid. If your slow cooker is especially large, you may just want to keep an eye on it and adjust the cooking time or add a splash of water if you notice the jam starts to get too thick. This recipe is very forgiving, so use what you have on hand!