Perfect choice 🎄 — Christmas Jam is a festive, spiced, sweet-tart jam that tastes like the holidays in a jar! It’s made with cranberries, strawberries (or raspberries), citrus, and warm spices — amazing on toast, biscuits, or even as a glaze for ham or turkey.
Here’s a traditional, easy-to-make version:
🎅 Christmas Jam Recipe
Yields: About 6 half-pint (8 oz) jars
🍓 Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries (or raspberries)
- 1 (1.75 oz) box powdered fruit pectin (like Sure-Jell)
- 4 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup orange juice (or cranberry juice)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
🍳 Instructions
- Prep fruit:
- Rinse cranberries and strawberries.
- Hull the strawberries and cut into halves.
- Place both fruits in a large saucepan and lightly crush them with a potato masher.
- Cook fruit mixture:
- Add orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
- Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften.
- Add pectin:
- Sprinkle in the pectin, stirring constantly until dissolved.
- Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (one that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred).
- Add sugar:
- Stir in all the sugar at once.
- Return to a rolling boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and skim off any foam.
- Jar the jam:
- Ladle hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace.
- Wipe rims clean, seal with lids and bands.
- Process (optional for long-term storage):
- Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
- Otherwise, refrigerate for up to 4 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
🎁 Serving Ideas
- Spread on toast, biscuits, or scones
- Swirl into yogurt or oatmeal
- Spoon over baked brie or cheesecake
- Brush on ham, turkey, or chicken for a holiday glaze
💡 Tips
- For a smoother jam, blend the fruit mixture before adding pectin.
- Adjust the spice level to taste — more cinnamon and cloves for extra holiday warmth.
- Makes beautiful edible Christmas gifts — just add a ribbon and a little tag! 🎁
Would you like me to give you a small-batch refrigerator version (no canning required)?
