Making Memories with Saskatoon Berry Jam
There’s something truly special about the summertime canning rotation, where certain fruits become synonymous with specific seasons. For our family, just like chokecherries, saskatoons were an essential part of our canning tradition.
[Saskatoon berries are also known as Amelanchier, Serviceberry, Shadblow, or Juneberry. But where I live, everyone knows them as Saskatoons.]
The process of turning these beautiful berries into delicious saskatoon berry jam is a family tradition that carries a lot of history and fond memories, particularly those stories my mom occasionally shares about her own childhood.
Mom sometimes reminisces about those warm summer days when her mom would gather the whole family for a day of wild saskatoon picking. It wasn’t just a leisurely activity; it was a mission. No one was allowed to return home until every bucket, pail, and container was filled to the brim with saskatoons.

Saskatoons were always plentiful where my grandma lived, which made the task a bit easier. However, the abundance of berries wasn’t the only thing in the area – bears were a common sight too.
One of my favorite tales that grandma likes to share is about the time she was picking berries on one side of a bush, completely unaware that a bear was doing the same on the other side.
She only found out about her furry foraging partner when grandpa called her over to him, telling her he needed her help with something. Once she was safely by his side, he pointed out the bear, calmly eating berries from the same bush. It’s no wonder my mom has a bit of a bear phobia!
These days, where I live, wild saskatoons can still be found, but they require a bit of local knowledge and often the permission of landowners to access the best spots. While the thrill of foraging is appealing, practicality often wins out, especially when you have kids in tow.
That’s why we often opt for a local u-pick farm. It’s a wonderful way to spend a summer afternoon, and the kids love the adventure of picking their own berries. Plus, it saves us the anxiety of a bear encounter!
Despite the convenience of u-pick farms, the cost-effectiveness of making homemade saskatoon berry jam remains one of its biggest draws. For less than a dollar a jar, we can enjoy the taste of summer all year round. There’s a certain satisfaction in opening a jar of homemade jam, knowing exactly where the berries came from and recalling the fun we had picking them.
Grandma’s Saskatoon Berry Jam Recipe
Now, let’s get to the heart of this post: making saskatoon berry jam. Passed down to me from my grandma, this recipe is simple, relying on the natural sweetness and vibrant color of the berries to shine through. Whether you’re using wild-picked or farm-picked saskatoons, this jam is sure to become a favorite in your household, just as it is in ours.