Christmas Jam Recipe
This cranberry-strawberry-orange strawberry cranberry christmas jam features holiday flavors of cranberries, strawberries, and oranges all mixed in with warm holiday spices for a special spread to can up and give away as a homemade gift. Warmly spiced, sweet-tart, and simple to make, it's chock-full of the flavors of the season, perfect on toast or with desserts, but wonderful used in savory dishes!
Ingredients
- 12 Oz Cranberries (fresh or frozen, thaw first if frozen)
- 1 Orange, peeled and sectioned
- 2 tsp Orange Zest, from the peel
- 16 Oz Fresh or FrozenStrawberries (thaw if you use frozen)
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Allspice
- 4 Cup Sugar, pure cane is best
- 1 – 1.75 Oz Package Powder Fruit Pectin
- 1/2 Cup Water
Instructions
- Sterilize jars, lids and rings. Add about two-thirds of an inch of water to each jar, place the jars into the water-bath canner and cover them over with enough water to submerge them.
- Place the canner on the stovetop over medium-high heat to sterilize while you prepare the jam. Place lids in a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Allow to simmer while you prepare the jam. The rings don't even need to be sterilized; simply let them sit aside.
- Process the cranberries and the orange, cut up, in a blender. Add the strawberries, orange zest, and spices and blend for just a second or two to combine everything together. You're aiming for chunky; you don't want this mixture to be a puree.
- Bring the fruit mixture and water to a boil in a 5-quart stockpot, stirring constantly. Stir in fruit pectin and ½ teaspoon of butter to reduce foaming. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, continuing to stir.
- When the mixture reaches a boil, add sugar, bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil, and boil for exactly 1 minute. Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
- Pack hot jam immediately into sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth and top with hot lids and screw on rings until finger tight. Return the jars to the water-bath canner.
- Close the canner and bring to a rolling boil. Process the jars for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the lid, and let the jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes. Remove the jars carefully from the canner to a towel-covered countertop and let sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
- Check that the jars are sealed. If any of the jars did not seal, refrigerate the jars and consume within 2 weeks.
Notes
This delightful Christmas jam is the perfect balance of sweet and tart-an ideal gift during the holidays or something to be enjoyed at home. The base of cranberries and strawberries with oranges adds a unique, fruity taste, while spices add their warm seasonal touch. Make with fresh fruit, if possible, and adjust spices to your taste for best results.
Remember also that proper canning ensures safe preservation of the jam. If some jars don't seal, those need to be refrigerated and the jam used within two weeks. This recipe is a wonderful spread on toast or biscuits, and it can be used as a glaze for roasted meats.