Christmas Jam
An easy jam recipe that can be given as a gift and tastes like Christmas in a jar!
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
Cranberries are full of natural pectin so it will thicken as it cools. If using frozen cranberries, thaw before using.
Butter is optional but helps to reduce the foam.
If using frozen strawberries, thaw before using. If using fresh strawberries, remove the stems and cut into halves or quaters for easier blending.