Easy Christmas Jam Recipe
This festive Christmas jam recipe combines all your favorite Christmas flavors into a delicious jam that is easy to make and a fun holiday tradition.
It combines the seasonal flavors of strawberries and cranberries to create a sweet and slightly tangy spread perfect for toast, pastries, or even as a topping for yogurt.
My kids love this jam recipe and it’s a hit year round! Since one of the main ingredients are cranberries, I love making it during Cranberry season!
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Jam
This homemade Christmas jam is an easy recipe with a short ingredient list that packs in plenty of holiday cheer. You’ll only need a few essentials: fresh or frozen strawberries, tart cranberries, sugar, and a touch of pectin to help thicken the jam.
What sets this jam apart is the hint of warm spices—think cinnamon, cloves, and a touch of ginger—that add a cozy, holiday flavor to each spoonful.
Not only does this jam make a lovely Christmas gift, but it’s also incredibly versatile.
Use it as a spread for breakfast, add it to a charcuterie board, or stir a spoonful into your favorite holiday cocktail for a fruity twist.
Packaged in a jar and wrapped with a festive ribbon, it’s a homemade treat that friends and family will love.
Ingredients and Tips
- Strawberries: Fresh or frozen strawberries add a natural sweetness and vibrant color to the jam.
- Cranberries: Fresh cranberries give this jam a slight tartness, balancing the sweetness of the strawberries and sugar.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar works best to preserve the jam and enhance its flavor.
- Pectin: Powdered fruit pectin is used to help the jam set, giving it that perfect, spreadable consistency.
- Holiday Spices: A pinch of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger will bring out the holiday spirit in each jar.
- Butter – optional to reduce the foam
How to Make Christmas Jam
Prepare 4-pint jars or 6 half-pint jars for canning.
- Prep the Orange: Zest the orange and set the zest aside. Peel the orange, remove any seeds, and roughly chop the sections.
- Chop the Fruit: In a food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries first. Add the chopped strawberries, chopped orange sections, orange zest, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Pulse a few times until everything is finely chopped but not pureed.
- Cook the Jam: Transfer the fruit mixture to a large stockpot and add the water. Stir in the pectin and 1/2 teaspoon of butter to reduce the foam. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.
- Add the Sugar: Once at a rolling boil, stir in the sugar. Continue to stir constantly, return to a rolling boil, and keep boiling for 1 minute.
- Jar the Jam: Remove from heat, skim off any foam, and ladle the jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.
- Process in Water Bath: Process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a towel or wooden cutting board for 12–24 hours, being careful not to turn, shake, or move them.
Storage and Serving Suggestions
Store this jam in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry, for up to a year if sealed properly. Once opened, keep it in the refrigerator and enjoy it within a month.
Christmas jam pairs wonderfully with a variety of holiday dishes—try it spread over warm toast, mixed into oatmeal, or spooned over vanilla ice cream for a festive dessert!
How to Use it as a Christmas Gift
Christmas jam is a perfect holiday gift when placed in a jar, wrapped with a ribbon, and paired with homemade bread or cookies. Add a little tag to make it personal!
Christmas Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz cranberries frozen or fresh unsweetened. See notes for more
- 16 oz strawberries fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries (see notes)
- 1 orange zested
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 package powdered fruit pectin
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon butter optional
Instructions
- Prepare 4 pint jars or 6 half-pint jars for canning.
Prep the Orange:
- Zest the orange and set the zest aside.
- Peel the orange, remove any seeds, and roughly chop the sections.
Process the Fruit:
- In a food processor, coarsely chop the cranberries first.
- Add the chopped strawberries, chopped orange sections, orange zest, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
- Pulse a few times until everything is finely chopped but not pureed.
Cook the Jam:
- Transfer the fruit mixture to a large stock pot and add the water.
- Stir in the pectin and 1/2 tsp of butter, to reduce the foam.
- Stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil.
- Once at a rolling boil, stir in the sugar.
- Return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly, and continue to boil for 1 minute.
Jar the Jam:
- Remove from the heat, skim foam, and ladle the jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Water Bath Processing:
- Process in a water-bath canner for 10 minutes.
- Remove from canner and place on a towel or wooden cutting board for 12-24 hours being careful not to turn, shake or move the jars.
Notes
Nutrition
Conclusion
This delectable jam recipe is simple to make and fun to give! Grab some festive Christmas tags and lids and give the taste of Christmas this year!
You might also like my recipes using Cowboy Candy or my Atomic Frog Balls!
Could I boil this then strain through cheesecloth to get seeds and pulp out(Dr. Says no small seeds) then return to pot and add spices and pectin? Then can?
Yes! You can definitely strain it through cheesecloth after boiling to remove seeds and pulp. Just return the liquid to the pot, add spices and pectin, and continue as usual. Keep in mind it may be more like a jelly, and you may need a bit more pectin for a good set. Hope that helps! 😊
Is it absolutely necessary to do the canning step . I have never done that to any of my jams.
You can skip canning if you store it in the fridge and use it within a few weeks. Canning just helps make it shelf-stable for long-term keeping. 😊
I am confused with steps 2, 3 and 4.
Why would you section the orange in step 2?
Step 3, I understand, maybe. It says to coarsely chop the cranberries and strawberries, BUT….
Step 4 says to ADD the strawberries, but they’re already there.
Were the orange sections used, maybe in step 2?
I’m diabetic, may I substitute Spenda for the sugar in this recipe and would I need to change pectin due to the Splenda?
I made Spiced Christmas Jam using Splenda and found Sugar-free Sure-Gel. The Jam was delicious!! Gave as gifts and everyone loved it.
So glad to hear that Deborah! Hope you saved it for next year 😊
Hi Mary, I’m not totally sure since I’ve never tried it, but you might be able to use Splenda with a low-sugar or no-sugar pectin for it to set properly. Maybe give it a try and let me know how it turns out! 😊
So sorry for the confusion and the late reply, Steve. I’ve updated the post to make it clearer—hope it helps, and I’d love for you to give it another try! 😊