Blueberry Juice

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This small-batch blueberry juice recipe is perfect for capturing the flavor of summer in a single pint jar. Using just a few cups of fresh blueberries, you’ll extract rich, deep-purple juice and preserve it in a jar. Sweeten to taste—or leave it unsweetened—and enjoy it later as a refreshing drink, a cocktail base, or a jelly starter. It’s a quick and efficient way to preserve blueberries, and you can scale up the recipe if needed. (Don't forget to use the pulp to make blueberry butter!)

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Juicing Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: berry juice

Servings: servings, or 1 pint

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups blueberries or up to 6 cups, see notes
1/2 cup water
2 to 4 Tbsp sugar optional, to taste

Instructions

Prepare the Blueberries: Rinse the blueberries and remove any stems, leaves, or spoiled fruit. Place them in a saucepan with ¼ cup water.
Extract the Juice: Simmer the berries gently over medium heat for 5–10 minutes, mashing occasionally with a potato masher until they’ve released their juice and softened completely.
Strain the Juice: Pour the mixture through a jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined strainer and let it drip until the juice has fully strained—about 30–60 minutes for a small batch. Do not press for clearer juice.
Heat the Juice: Transfer the strained juice to a clean saucepan. Heat to 190°F (just below boiling) and hold for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, if using, until fully dissolved.
Prepare for Canning: While heating the juice, prepare a water bath canner and keep a clean pint jar hot.
Fill the Jars: Ladle the hot juice into the jar, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe the rim, apply the lid, and screw the band on finger-tight.
Process the Jars: Place in the boiling water bath canner and process for 15 minutes (or 20 minutes above 6,000 ft elevation). These times are for half pints, pints and quarts.
Cool and Store: Turn off the heat and let the jar rest in the canner for 5 minutes before removing. Cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check the seal, label, and store.

Notes

Juice Yield: Blueberries yield about 1 cup juice per 2 to 3 cups berries. For larger batches, scale up accordingly:

• 1 cup juice: 2 to 3 cups berries
• 1 pint juice: 4 to 6 cups berries
• 1 quart juice: 8 to 12 cups berries

Sweetening: Sugar is optional. For average sweetness, use 1–2 Tbsp sugar per cup of juice.

Tools: A steam juicer can improve yield and reduce mess, especially for larger batches.

Storage: Properly sealed jars store well in a cool, dark pantry for up to 18 months. Refrigerate after opening.

Using Blueberry Pulp

Don’t let the blueberry pulp go to waste—there’s still plenty of flavor left even after juicing. One of the best ways to use it is to make Blueberry Butter, which makes use of the pulp after you've extracted the juice.

To make blueberry butter, measure the leftover pulp and add ½ cup of sugar and 1 tsp of lemon juice per cup of pulp. Simmer the mixture over low heat, stirring often to prevent scorching, until thickened and spreadable. This may take 30–60 minutes depending on moisture content. Ladle the hot butter into jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace, and water bath can for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude if needed).

The result is a rich, concentrated fruit spread that pairs beautifully with toast, biscuits, or yogurt—and it’s a great way to get a second delicious preserve out of the same batch of berries.

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