Capture the festive flavors of the season with this irresistible Christmas Jam Recipe. A beautiful blend of cranberries and strawberries, spiced with a hint of cinnamon and cloves, this jam is like Christmas in a jar. It’s the perfect spread for your holiday breakfast table and makes a thoughtful, delicious homemade gift for friends and family. This recipe is surprisingly simple to make, even if you’re new to canning. Let’s get started!
What is Christmas Jam?
Christmas Jam is a festive fruit preserve that beautifully combines the tartness of cranberries with the sweetness of strawberries. It’s typically spiced with warm, holiday-inspired flavors like cinnamon and cloves. The result is a brilliantly colored jam that’s both sweet and tangy, making it a versatile addition to any holiday spread. It’s a popular choice for homemade food gifts because of its vibrant red color and delicious, festive taste.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You only need a handful of easy-to-find ingredients to create this delightful jam.
- Perfect for Gifting: Poured into decorative jars with a ribbon, this jam becomes a heartfelt and impressive homemade gift.
- Incredibly Versatile: Don’t just save it for toast! Use it as a glaze for meats, a topping for desserts like this Pecan Pie Cheesecake, or a festive appetizer spread.
- Beginner-Friendly: This Christmas Jam recipe uses pectin, which helps ensure a perfect set every time, making it a great project for canning novices.
Essential Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this festive jam. Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries work perfectly. They provide the tart backbone and gorgeous jewel-red color.
- Strawberries: Frozen, unsweetened strawberries are ideal as they break down easily and their flavor pairs wonderfully with cranberries.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is essential for sweetness, preservation, and helping the jam to set properly.
- Pectin: This recipe calls for powdered fruit pectin to ensure a reliable gel.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice brightens the flavors and helps the pectin to work its magic.
- Spices: A combination of ground cinnamon and ground cloves gives the jam its characteristic warm, holiday spice flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Your Jars
Before you begin, prepare your canning jars. Wash six 8-ounce jars, lids, and rings in hot, soapy water. Rinse them well. Place the jars on a rack in a large stockpot, fill the pot with water to cover the jars completely, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the hot water until you are ready to fill them.
Step 2: Cook the Fruit
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, combine the cranberries, strawberries, and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the cranberries have burst and the fruit has softened. Use a potato masher to break down the fruit to your desired consistency.
Step 3: Add Pectin and Sugar
Stir the powdered pectin into the fruit mixture until it is fully dissolved. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Add the entire measure of sugar at once, stirring to dissolve. Return the jam to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly one minute, stirring constantly.
Step 4: Add Spices and Skim
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the ground cinnamon and cloves. Skim off any foam that has formed on the surface using a metal spoon.
Step 5: Fill and Process the Jars
Carefully ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the jar rims clean with a damp paper towel. Center the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until they are fingertip-tight. Place the filled jars back into the stockpot on the rack. Ensure the water covers the jars by at least 1-2 inches. Bring the water to a rolling boil and process the jars in the water bath for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the pot lid, and let the jars stand in the water for another 5 minutes before removing them to a towel-lined countertop. Allow the jars to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You will hear the lids “ping” as they seal.
Expert Tips for Success
- Don’t Reduce the Sugar: The amount of sugar is crucial for the jam to set correctly and for proper preservation.
- Use a Large Pot: The jam will boil up significantly, so use a pot that is at least twice the volume of your ingredients to prevent it from boiling over.
- Check for a Seal: After 24 hours, check the seals on your jars. The lid should be firm and not flex when pressed in the center. Any jars that haven’t sealed should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks. Looking for another delicious breakfast idea? Try these amazing Sausage and Cheese Sheet Pan Pancakes.
Serving Suggestions
This Christmas Jam recipe is delicious in so many ways! Here are a few of our favorite ideas:
- Spread on toast, scones, or warm Butter Swim Biscuits.
- Serve with cream cheese and crackers for a quick and festive appetizer.
- Use it as a glaze for roasted chicken, turkey, or pork.
- Spoon over ice cream, cheesecake, or yogurt for a simple dessert.
- It’s also fantastic in a sandwich. Try it in our French Toast Fried Chicken Sandwich for a sweet and savory twist!
Storage Instructions
Properly sealed and processed jars of Christmas Jam can be stored in a cool, dark place like a pantry for up to 18 months. Once a jar is opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator and will last for about 3-4 weeks.
Pectin is highly recommended for this recipe to ensure a proper set, especially when using low-pectin fruits like strawberries. It guarantees a consistent, jam-like texture. Making it without pectin would require a much longer cooking time and a different ratio of ingredients.
If properly canned and sealed using a water bath method, it can last for up to 18 months in a cool, dark place. Once opened, it should be refrigerated and consumed within 3-4 weeks.
It’s incredibly versatile! Serve it on toast, biscuits, or scones for breakfast. For an appetizer, pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers. It also works as a delicious glaze for roasted pork, turkey, or chicken.
It has a delightful sweet and tart flavor profile. The sweetness from the strawberries and sugar balances the tartness of the cranberries, while spices like cinnamon and cloves add a warm, festive finish.
Christmas Jam is typically made from a combination of fruits that create a festive red color, most commonly cranberries and strawberries. It is sweetened with sugar and flavored with warm holiday spices like cinnamon and cloves.
Pectin is highly recommended for this recipe to ensure a proper set, especially when using low-pectin fruits like strawberries. It guarantees a consistent, jam-like texture. Making it without pectin would require a much longer cooking time and a different ratio of ingredients.
If properly canned and sealed using a water bath method, it can last for up to 18 months in a cool, dark place. Once opened, it should be refrigerated and consumed within 3-4 weeks.
It’s incredibly versatile! Serve it on toast, biscuits, or scones for breakfast. For an appetizer, pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers. It also works as a delicious glaze for roasted pork, turkey, or chicken.
It has a delightful sweet and tart flavor profile. The sweetness from the strawberries and sugar balances the tartness of the cranberries, while spices like cinnamon and cloves add a warm, festive finish.
Christmas Jam is typically made from a combination of fruits that create a festive red color, most commonly cranberries and strawberries. It is sweetened with sugar and flavored with warm holiday spices like cinnamon and cloves.
A Gift from the Heart
This Christmas Jam recipe offers more than just a delicious treat; it’s a chance to create and share something truly special during the holidays. The process is rewarding, and the result is a beautiful, flavorful jam that will bring a festive touch to any table. We hope you enjoy making and sharing it! Let us know how it turned out in the comments below, and don’t forget to share your creations on Pinterest!
Christmas Jam Recipe
Christmas Jam Recipe: The Perfect Homemade Holiday Gift
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare your canning jars. Wash six 8-ounce jars, lids, and rings in hot, soapy water. Place the jars on a rack in a large stockpot, fill with water to cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes to sterilize. Keep jars in the hot water until ready to use.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine cranberries, strawberries, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until cranberries burst. Mash the fruit to your desired consistency.
- Stir the powdered pectin into the fruit mixture until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil.
- Add all the sugar at once, stirring to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly one minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the ground cinnamon and cloves. Skim off any foam from the surface.
- Ladle hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply lids, and screw on rings until fingertip-tight. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes before removing. Cool for 12-24 hours.
Notes
Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months. Refrigerate after opening.
