Homemade Christmas Jam Recipe

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Christmas jam recipe

When you find fresh cranberries in the store, it’s your signal to make your Christmas Jam for the holidays. Giving homemade jam is a great gift to give during the holidays.

There are many delicious homemade jam recipes to choose from, including cranberry jam with orange. Try juice from cranberries or making muffins if you have extra.

Can You Use Frozen Cranberries?

You can start by using frozen fruit to make this recipe, but it needs to be thawed when you process. Fresh fruit is preferred for the cranberries.

Jam making

What Is Christmas Jam ?

Typically when you make jam and jelly it is made with fruit, sugar and pectin. This Christmas jam recipe is made with additional spices of cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves. All the holiday spices you will find in this spiced Christmas jam recipe. The jam is a strawberry cranberry jam, sometimes called Amish Christmas Jam, that is full of many holiday season flavors and scents.

chopped cranberries

How Do You Process the Fruit?

Use a food processor to chop the fruits. You could use a blender, but it could add air into the jam and make it foamy (and you don’t want foam). Fresh or frozen berries? They need to be thawed to be at the proper temperature for canning.

strawberry puree

Can You Use Frozen Fruit?

I highly recommend using frozen strawberries. You can buy fresh strawberries and then freeze and thaw them. Having thawed fruits helps with the fruit mixture reaching the proper temperature for the jam to set properly.

strawberries and cranberries for homemade jam recipes

Do You Need Fresh Cranberries for Jam?

You will want to use fresh cranberries that are coarsely chopped to make your spiced Christmas jam. If you only have frozen cranberries, let them thaw and come to room temperature before using them in this recipe.

cooking process for making spiced christmas jam

Can Orange Zest Be Added?

Absolutely! Take 1 large or 2 medium sized oranges and zest them. Add the orange zest in when you add the berries..

supplies to make christmas jam

How Do You Keep from Getting Scum in the Jam?

When you had 1/2 teaspoon of butter to the berries, it reduced the likelihood of the jam foaming, or creating ‘scum’ on top.  It also reduced the changes of the jam boiling over the pan.

sterilized half pint jars

Do You Need to Water Bath Can Jam?

It is recommended to hot water bath jam for 10 minutes to allow the hot jam to seal the jars. Once the jars are water bathed, place them on a towel and cover with a towel to allow them to cool slowly. It also keeps cold drafts from the jars so they don’t crack.

cleaning jar
Christmas jam
Print Recipe
4.80 from 5 votes

How To Make Cranberry Christmas Jam

Grab some fresh cranberries and spices and make a delicious Christmas Jam. Great for eating and sharing during the Christmas Holiday.
Course: Canning
Cuisine: American
Servings: 5 half pint jars
Author: Regina Sober

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces cranberries measure before chopping
  • 16 ounces frozen strawberries measure when frozen, but then thaw to use
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 3 tablespoons pectin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground all spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter

Instructions

  • Add the pectin into the bottom of the #aff jam and jelly maker
  • Pulse the cranberries and thawed strawberries to chop. This should be at least 2 2/3 cups of berries (ours was closer to 3 cups)
  • Add the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and butter to the fruit.
  • Press the Jam button and cover.
  • Once the canner beeps add the sugar.
  • Prepare the jars, seals, bands and towel to process jars.
  • When the canner beeps, remove the cover.
  • Remove the paddle with an oven mitt (it's VERY hot)
  • With a plastic ladle and funnel, fill the jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.
  • Take a clean wet towel and clean the rim of the jars.
  • Place the seal on the jar and hand tighten the band.
  • Place the jar into a water bath and process the jars for 10 minutes.
  • Put the jars on a towel and cover with another towel and allow the jars to cool slowly.
  • Be sure to date and label the jars.

Video

YouTube video
Savor the spirit of the season with our homemade Christmas jam—crafted with festive spices and sweet seasonal fruits. Elevate your holiday traditions with our easy guide to joy in a jar!

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