How to Make Red Huckleberry Jam (Bilberry Jam Canning Recipe)

July 6, 2025 Master Canner

Huckleberry jam shouldn’t taste like plain sugar with a berry cameo — it should smack you with real fruit flavor, make you close your eyes, and think, “Wow, that’s the forest in a jar.”

Feel free to skip straight to the recipe, or hang out a bit for some handy tips, ingredient recommendations, and tricks to make this jam truly exceptional. Promise, no grandma stories here!

Jump to Recipe

A good wild red huckleberry jam is bright, tart, and just sweet enough to let the berry’s wild side shine. In many ways, it’s a love letter to the forest, a jar of bright, tangy joy that keeps you coming back for “just one more spoonful.” This version of the huckleberry jam recipe, made with maple syrup, is our favorite. The maple syrup adds warmth and depth without overpowering that delicate, wild tang. Plus, when you use a slow, cold maceration overnight, you capture every last bit of flavor and color of this amazing wild berry.

Most importantly, this wild berry jam is the kind of project that feels as rewarding as it is delicious. You get to go berry picking (or meet a friend who does the foraging for you), bring home those gleaming little beads, and transform them into something sweet and tangy that can brighten even the gloomiest winter toast.

In this post, we’ll walk you through everything – from how to identify these wild beauties, to why they’re healthy, to exactly how to make red huckleberry jam at home. And, of course, we’ll answer all your burning huckleberry questions so you can head into your kitchen (or the forest) feeling totally confident.

What the heck is a huckleberry?

huckleberries grow singularly — red huckleberry bush

Depending on where you live, “Huckleberry” is one of those words that means different things to different folks. In North America, “huckleberry” refers to several different small wild berries in the Vaccinium and Gaylussacia families.

The red huckleberries are bright red and have slender green stems. Unlike blueberries or darker huckleberries, these berries taste tart and slightly sweet, with a hint of floral flavor.

If you’ve ever wandered through the mossy forests of the Pacific Northwest in early summer, you’ve probably seen them — those tiny, brightly coloured berries that almost glow against the green underbrush. They’re small, delicate, and often overlooked by casual hikers, but for those of us who know, these are the true gems of the forest.

When identifying them, look for bright red berries that grow singly, instead of in bunches. They have multiple tiny seeds inside and love growing in mossy, acidic forest areas.

In the Pacific Northwest, they pop up on old stumps and forest edges. Once you know what to look for, red huckleberries (Vaccinium parvifolium) are very easy to spot.

Remember, always double-check with a foraging guide before tasting any wild berries.

Health Benefits of Wild Huckleberries

Red huckleberries are basically tiny forest multivitamins. They pack a serious punch of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Additionally, they have way less natural sugar than most cultivated berries.

For generations, Indigenous communities have turned to these bright berries for both food and traditional medicine. Because they’re lower in natural sugars than many cultivated berries, they’re a great option if you want big berry flavor without a big sugar spike.

Simply put, red huckleberries are the ultimate “good for you” treat that actually tastes good.

Why you want to cold-macerate your berries

Our secret weapon for this and some of our other jams is cold maceration. No rushed boiling. No dull, overcooked fruit.

Cold maceration might sound fancy, but it’s basically just letting your slightly crushed berries sit with sugar in the fridge overnight. This slow process draws out the berry juices, intensifies the berry flavor, and helps preserve that gorgeous bright color. In short, it makes your jam taste like fresh fruit in a jar. However, if you’re short on time (or just impatient), you can skip the overnight rest and cook the berries right away. Just know you will be missing out that vibrant, wild edge. At the end, you’ll still have a pretty good jam worth every spoonful of your effort.

How to Make Huckleberry Jam – Step-by-Step

wild red huckleberry jam recipe ingredients

to make huckleberry jam recipe combine sugar with berries first — wild red huckleberry jam recipe ingredients

Real Canadian Huckleberry Jam Recipe

Our wild red huckleberry jam is bright, tart, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup. Made with addition of pectin and a slow cold maceration for pure berry flavor, it’s an easy, reduced sugar jam that shines on toast, cheese boards, or as a homemade gift. Enjoy a taste of the forest in every spoonful!

Yield: 3 x half-pint (8 oz. = 250 ml.) mason jars

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Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh red huckleberries -900 g
2 cups sugar -400 g
1/8 cup pure maple syrup -30 ml
1 teaspoon Pomona’s pectin powder -or other low-sugar pectin – follow package instructions

Instructions

In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the huckleberries with most of the sugar, saving about ½ cup to mix with the pectin later. (If you're using a different brand of pectin, be sure to check their instructions for when and how to add it.)
Gently mash the berries with sugar – just enough to help the sugar draw out juices from the berries.
Cover and let the berries macerate for at least 3 hours, but if you have time, overnight is even better. If you leave them overnight, pop the pot into the fridge or another cool spot.
You’ll know the maceration is done when you see a nice pool of ruby-red juice in the pot.
Next, use a handheld blender or potato masher to create a mostly smooth, jammy mixture.
Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce slightly and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often and skimming off any foam that rises to the top.
Add the maple syrup and cook for another 5 minutes to deepen the flavor.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, thoroughly mix the reserved ½ cup of sugar with the Pomona pectin powder.
Slowly stir in the sugar-pectin mix into the cooking huckleberry jam. Keep stirring for another 5 minutes
Do a chilled plate test: place a small spoonful of jam on a cold plate, let it sit for a minute, then push it with your finger. If it wrinkles, it’s ready. If not, continue boiling for 2–5 more minutes and test again.
Ladle hot jam into prepared jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw on rings finger-tight. Process in a canner

Learn how to prepare mason jars and lids for canning

Notes

Processing time guidelines for hot water bath or atmospheric steam canners

Style of Pack: Hot

	Process Time at Elevations of:
Jar Size	0 – 1,000 ft	1,001 – 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
1/2 Pint (8 oz, ~250 ml)	5 min	10 min	15 min

Preserve Type Jam

Grab your berries, grab your maple syrup, and make a batch. Then come back and tell us how this preserve recipe worked out for you. Leave us a comment below, write us, like us on X, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Blue Sky. And remember, sharing is caring!

FAQ

Are Huckleberries High in Sugar?

Not even close. Red huckleberries are famously tart — they’re low in natural sugar and high in acidity.

When making jam, this tartness and acidity are your best friend. It means you can skip lemon for acidification purposes and use less added sugar and get a bold, punchy flavor that tastes like actual fruit, not candy.

What if I Don’t Have Maple Syrup?

You can substitute it with sugar if you must, but the maple syrup gives this jam its warm, earthy depth. To substitute 1/8 cup maple syrup, you need 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of sugar (about 25 grams).

Why are You not Using Lemon Juice in this Recipe?

For starters, red huckleberries are famously tart. They’re low in natural sugar and high in acidity. Thanks of this natural acidity, you don’t need to add extra lemon juice to make the jam safe for canning. Simply put more fruit flavor, less sugar fuss.

Do I Really Need to Macerate Berries Overnight?

Technically, you can skip cold maceration. But then you’d be missing out on the deep, bright flavor. Slow maceration = better color, better texture, better jam.

Can I Skip the Pectin?

If you skip the pectin and don’t bump the sugar up to a classic 1:1 ratio, you’ll end up with more of a loose, spoonable sauce instead of a firm, spreadable jam. Reason being, red huckleberries are naturally low in pectin. So, without an extra boost, don’t expect that satisfying, firm gel.

Let’s Talk Pectin

First things first: We’re not affiliated with Pomona – we just genuinely love their pectin.

This is a recipe for a jam with pectin. We use regular powdered pectin—the kind that comes in a box—and follow the directions for soft-set jams. Specifically, this recipe is designed to work with Pomona’s Universal Pectin. It is a concentrated product that allows you to control the sugar and texture.

Here’s what we’ve learned the hard way about various pectins: Most other boxed pectin brands are diluted with sugar. That means you have to use the entire packet to get the same setting power as just from one teaspoon of Pomona’s pectin.

We don’t recommend using liquid pectin for this recipe. But if that’s all you have, make sure you read instructions as the timing of adding the liquid pectin to the jam will likely be different.

What to Eat Huckleberry Jam With

Thanks to its bright, tart, slightly wild flavor, huckleberry jam is way more versatile than your average sweet spread. Here’s how to get the most out of every jar:

Classic toast and butter (but make it fancy). Start simple: thick slices of sourdough or crusty artisan bread, lightly toasted, slathered with salted butter, and topped with a generous spoonful of huckleberry jam.

Upgrade your cheese board. Pair it with creamy cheeses like brie, camembert, or goat cheese, or go bold with aged cheddar or blue cheese. The jam’s tangy punch balances the richness beautifully. Add some nuts and crackers, and you’ve got an instant showstopper appetizer.

Glaze for meats. Use huckleberry jam as a glaze for roast pork, duck, or chicken thighs. Mix it with a splash of balsamic vinegar or mustard to create a glossy glaze that’s both savory and slightly sweet.

In baked goods. Spread it inside sweet rolls before baking, or use it as a filling for thumbprint cookies or layered cakes. The tartness of this red huckleberry jam is guaranteed to cut through the sweetness of other ingredients

On pancakes and waffles. Forget plain old syrup! Mix some of this huckleberry jam with a little bit of maple syrup and drizzle over a warm stack of pancakes or waffles.

Got more questions? Don’t be shy. Leave us a comment!

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