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Canning blackberry lemonade concentrate is an easy way to bottle up that sweet tart summer flavor so you can pour a glass of homemade lemonade any time, even when fresh berries are long gone.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this blackberry lemonade concentrate recipe!
- A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Ingredients for Blackberry Lemonade
- How to Make Blackberry Lemonade Concentrate
- Canning Blackberry Lemonade Concentrate
- Altitude Adjustments
- Serving Ideas
- Blackberry Canning Recipes
- Blackberry Lemonade Concentrate Recipe
- Altitude Adjustments
- Drink Canning Recipes
This recipe has been reviewed for safety and accuracy by a Master Food Preserver certified through the University of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
This recipe is based on the same safe, high-acid lemonade concentrate method used for canning fruit juice concentrates, with blackberry juice added for color and a deeper berry-forward flavor. Because you’re working with lemon juice and a fruit juice base, it’s a straightforward water bath canning project that’s perfect for stocking the pantry.
This is very similar to making other berry lemonade concentrates, like blueberry lemonade concentrate and strawberry lemonade concentrate. Those drinks, however, are made with berry puree instead of juice. Since blackberries are seedy, I think it works best to extract their juice and then mix that into the drink concentrate.
I do the same thing when I’m making plum lemonade concentrate and peach lemonade concentrate.
Why you’ll love this blackberry lemonade concentrate recipe!
Blackberry lemonade just tastes like summer, but the concentrate version is even better because it’s quick to serve and endlessly flexible. You can mix it with still water, sparkling water, iced tea, or even use it to flavor desserts and marinades.
I also love that it’s a practical way to use berries that are a little soft or seedy. I’ve made this after a family berry-picking afternoon when the fridge was overflowing and I knew we’d never eat them all fresh in time.
When I have a few jars on the shelf, last-minute guests feel easy. I can pour something homemade that looks special in a pitcher, and nobody needs to know it took me less time than brewing a pot of coffee.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Blackberry Lemonade Concentrate
- Recipe Type: Lemonade Concentrates (Drinks)
- Canning Method: Waterbath Canning or Steam Canning
- Prep/Cook Time: 1 hour (mostly straining juice)
- Canning Time: 10 Minutes
- Yield: 4 pint jars
- Jar Sizes: Quarter Pint, Half Pint or Pint
- Headspace: 1/4 inch
- Ingredients Overview: Blackberry Juice, Lemon Juice and sugar
- Safe Canning Recipe Source: Ball Canning Berry Juice Instructions
- Difficulty: Easy! Once you’ve extracted the juice, everything is quickly heated and ladled into jars.
- Similar Recipes: The process is very similar to making other lemonade concentrates, like watermelon lemonade concentrate or cherry limeade concentrate. It’s also similar to canning berry juice, like canning blueberry juice or canning strawberry juice.
Ingredients for Blackberry Lemonade
This recipe keeps it simple: you’ll make a quick blackberry juice, then combine it with lemon juice and sugar to create a bold, pourable concentrate that cans beautifully.
- Lemon juice: Provides the classic lemonade tang and the high-acid base that makes this safe for water bath canning.
- Blackberry juice: Adds berry flavor and that deep purple color, turning plain lemonade into something special.
- Sugar: Sweetens and also helps the concentrate keep its bright flavor and balanced bite in the jar.
- Water: Used only to extract juice from the berries so you get good yield without scorching.
You can swap in other berry juices (raspberry, black raspberry, blueberry) using the same amount of finished juice for a different flavor profile. If your blackberries are very sweet, you can nudge the sugar slightly lower for taste, but keep in mind that the recipe is designed as a concentrate and should taste quite strong in the jar.
For the lemon juice, bottled lemon juice is the most consistent option for acidity and flavor from batch to batch, and it’s convenient when you’re canning larger quantities.
That said, the lemon juice isn’t required for canning safety, since canning blackberry juice is fine on its own. It’s technically fine to use fresh squeezed lemon juice in this recipe, and fresh tends to taste better in lemonade concentrate canning recipes.
How to Make Blackberry Lemonade Concentrate
You’ll make a small batch of blackberry juice, combine it with lemon juice and sugar, then can the concentrate hot in a boiling water bath.
Make the blackberry juice
Combine the blackberries and water in a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. As the berries heat, mash them to release their juice, then simmer until the berries are fully softened and the liquid is deeply colored. Strain through a jelly bag or fine mesh strainer to collect the juice, letting it drip until you have a clear, seed-free juice.
Make the lemonade concentrate
Pour the measured lemon juice and blackberry juice into a clean pot, then add the sugar. Warm the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved and the concentrate is steaming hot. You’re not trying to reduce it, just heat it through so it goes into jars hot and evenly mixed.
Prepare jars and canner
While the concentrate heats, wash jars and keep them hot, and set up a water bath canner so it’s ready. This recipe is processed long enough that you do not need to pre-sterilize jars, but you do want everything clean and hot so the temperature change is gentle.
Canning Blackberry Lemonade Concentrate
Ladle the hot concentrate into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove bubbles, adjust headspace if needed, wipe the rims, then apply two-piece canning lids to fingertip tight.
Process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for the time listed for your altitude (below). When processing is complete, turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars rest in the hot water for about 5 minutes to help prevent siphoning. Remove jars and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals, label, and store.
Altitude Adjustments
The altitude adjustments for water bath canning blackberry lemonade concentrate are as follows:
- For Under 1,000 Feet in Elevation – 15 minutes for half pints, pints and quarts.
- For 1,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation – 20 minutes for half pints, pints and quarts.
- Above 6,001 Feet in Elevation – 25 minutes for half pints, pints and quarts.
Serving Ideas
For classic lemonade, start by mixing one part concentrate with three parts cold water, then adjust to taste. Serve over ice with lemon slices, fresh berries, or a handful of mint.
This concentrate is also fantastic with sparkling water for a fizzy blackberry lemonade, stirred into iced tea for a berry Arnold Palmer vibe, or mixed into cocktails and mocktails. I also use a splash in fruit salads and sometimes brush it onto warm cakes as a quick glaze.
Blackberry Canning Recipes
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Blackberry Lemonade Concentrate
Ingredients
- 2 cups blackberry juice, see note
- 4 cups lemon juice, see note
- 4 cups sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a water bath canner, jars, and lids.
- Make the blackberry juice by simmering the blackberries with the water until the berries are soft and releasing plenty of liquid, mashing as they cook. Strain to remove seeds and pulp, then measure out 2 cups of finished blackberry juice.
- In a clean pot, combine the lemon juice, 2 cups blackberry juice, and sugar. Heat until the mixture is steaming hot and the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Ladle hot concentrate into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove bubbles, wipe rims, and apply lids to fingertip tight.
- Process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes (pints and half pints), adjusting for altitude. When done, turn off the heat, let jars rest 5 minutes in the canner, then remove and cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals and store.
Notes
Altitude Adjustments
The altitude adjustments for water bath canning blackberry lemonade concentrate are as follows:- For Under 1,000 Feet in Elevation – 15 minutes for half pints, pints and quarts.
- For 1,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation – 20 minutes for half pints, pints and quarts.
- Above 6,001 Feet in Elevation – 25 minutes for half pints, pints and quarts.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Drink Canning Recipes
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