Easy Christmas Jam
This festive homemade Christmas Jam is filled with strawberries, cranberries, and a hint of cozy spice for that classic holiday flavor. Perfect for canning or gifting, it’s a merry red jam that tastes like Christmas morning in a jar.
Ingredients
- 40 ounces frozen whole strawberries thawed or partially thawed, see notes 1 & 2
- 1 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen thawed or partially thawed if using frozen
- zest from one orange optional, see note 3
- 4 ½ pounds sugar yes, 4 ½ POUNDS, see note 4
- 6 ounces liquid fruit pectin in 3 ounce pouches
- spices for a Christmas spiced version optional, see note 5
Instructions
- Place strawberries and cranberries in a food processor and chop. Leave small chunks of fruit, and do not puree. Jelly is pureed and perfectly smooth, jam is not and has chunks of fruit in it.
- Place chopped fruit in a large heavy bottom pot - I use a dutch oven pot. Add sugar and orange zest. Stir while it heats up and bring it to a full rolling boil. Once it reaches a full boil, boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Return to heat and return to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly one more minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
- Let cool about 5 minutes then skim off the foam. Carefully ladle the mixture into sterilized half pint size jars, leaving ¼" space at the top. Wipe the rims clean with a cloth damped with warm water. Place lids on top and secure.
- Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. See note 6. Carefully remove the jars and place somewhere they can sit completely undisturbed.
- Let stand, completely undisturbed for 12-24 hours. After 12 hours you can check the seals to check for sealing. If the lid gives or remains popped up, place it in the fridge for immediate use. If the jars have properly sealed they can be stored in a cool, dark place.
Notes
- I set mine out on the counter for about 2 hours before starting. You could also get yours out the night before and place them in the refrigerator. If you use the microwave to thaw, be very careful not to heat them up.
- You can also use 10 cups fresh strawberries, hulled.
- The orange gives it a little more of Christmas-y type of flavor. I like the strawberry cranberry jam as it is a little bit better without the orange, but for gifts for neighbors I like to add the orange for that little flair of Christmas.
- The sugar helps it set up. While testing this recipe, I couldn't guarantee a setup with any less than 4 ½ pounds of sugar.
- For a spiced variation, add zest from one more orange, then add ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon cloves at the same time as the sugar and zest.
- To process jam jars in a water bath, simply place in a pot of boiling water, making sure the jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water.
- The jam will be super runny when you put it in the jars. Don't worry! It will thicken as it cools.
Nutrition
Serving: 2TablespoonsCalories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.003gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 3mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.1mg
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