Easy Three Ingredient Thimbleberry Jam Recipe

It’s been the summer of berries for us. First black raspberries in Northern Illinois and then Thimbleberries in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Thimbleberries only grow in a few places and their season is pretty short. We were lucky to be up there when they were ripe! The Thimbleberry jam recipe is SO easy but it is different than all the other ones I’ve searched for. The recipes I’ve seen online are all 1 to 1 ratios of berries and sugar. Holy crap that’s A LOT of sugar. So, we followed the advice of some family members who have been making jam for a LOONNNGGG time and we were not disappointed by the results.

The Hardest Part is Finding the Berries!

We kept our eyes open for these red gems during our daily adventures up in the UP. We found some on the last day of our trip along the side of the road. There were people along the road the days before and we suspected they might be picking berries and we were right! We pulled off to the side of the road and spent about an hour collecting what we could. Thimbleberries, unlike black raspberries, don’t have thorns so they were easy to pick and squeeze through. Some of the plants were taller than me! They grow between about 4-8 ft tall!

Easiest Recipe for Thimbleberry Jam!

The steps to make this jam are so easy so make sure to try it if you ever get your hands on thimbleberries. We picked between 4-5 cups of berries and kept them in the fridge, unwashed, overnight. Then, we kept them in a cooler on our way back to IL. Once we were ready to make the jam we rinsed and searched the thimbleberries for any bugs that might have snuck in while we picked them.

Next, prepare the jars by boiling them in the water while you make the jam. Add thimbleberries, lemon juice, & sugar to a pot and set the heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until the berries let out their juices. Don’t worry about exact measurements here. Once we made it back to IL our thimbleberries were pretty squished and juicy so we only had a little over 3 cups. This recipe is so flexible. I would suggest going less sugar rather than more if you’re on the fence. The jam is SO GOOD without heaps and heaps of sugar.

When the berries have released their juices, add the lemon juice and turn the heat up a little to medium/medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir often so the berries don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Boil them for about 3 minutes and then fill your jars! We had enough to fill just over 2 jars so you may have a little more or a little less depending on how many berries you end up with. Process the jars for 10 minutes in a water bath. Allow the jars to cool and then store them in a cool, dry place.

Black Raspberries VS Thimbleberries

Check out my Black Raspberry Jam post to grab my personal FAV jam recipe.

Here’s our comparison of both of the jams that we made this summer. I personally favor the black raspberry jam but Neil likes the thimbleberry. I think it probably has something to do with me growing up eating black raspberries and him growing up eating thimbleberries. Those memories have a big effect on your taste buds!

When in Doubt Eat Berry Ice Cream!

If you ever have just a few berries that you’ve picked (of any kind really) the best way to eat them is over some really good vanilla ice cream. We got to do that too during our trip and it was delicious!

Berries never disappoint when they’re on ice cream! I’m craving more just typing about it!

Thimbleberry Jam

This is the most simple recipe you'll ever do! Thimbleberries are so delicious you don't want them to go to waste. Try this super simple jam recipe with less sugar than the other ones you'll find to let the berry flavor really stand out.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Canning 10 minutes mins

Servings 2 8 oz jars

Equipment

• jars & lids

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups thimbleberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

 

• Rinse and search the thimbleberries for any bugs that might have snuck in while you picked them.
• Put jars and lids in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and let it continue to boil while you cook the berries.
• Add thimbleberries and sugar into a pot and set the heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until the berries let out their juices.
• When the berries have released their juices add lemon juice and turn the heat up a little to medium/medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir often so the berries don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Boil for about 3 minutes and then pour jam into jars.
• Process the jars for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and then store in a cool, dry place.