This Christmas Jam is a true festive treat! A blend of tart cranberries, sweet strawberries, zesty oranges, and a mix of warm holiday spices creates the perfect spread for your holiday table. Whether you’re spreading it on toast or gifting it to loved ones, this jam is sure to capture the essence of the Christmas season.

Key Ingredients for Christmas Jam

1. Cranberries: Cranberries are packed with antioxidants and offer a tangy flavor that balances the sweetness of the strawberries.
2. Strawberries: These add a delightful sweetness to counterbalance the tartness of the cranberries. Fresh or frozen strawberries can be used.
3. Orange & Orange Zest: The orange adds a burst of citrus flavor, while the zest enhances the overall brightness of the jam.
4. Spices (Cloves, Cinnamon, Allspice): These spices give the jam its signature holiday flavor, reminiscent of mulled wine and festive treats.
5. Sugar: Cane sugar is ideal as it enhances the flavors of the fruits while ensuring the perfect consistency of the jam.
6. Pectin: This helps the jam set, giving it that delightful gel-like texture.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Perfect Christmas Jam

1. Prepare Your Equipment

To start, you need clean, sterilized jars for canning your jam. The easiest way to sterilize them is by using a water-bath canner. Begin by washing your jars, lids, and rings thoroughly in hot soapy water. Rinse well, then fill your jars about two-thirds full with water and place them in the water-bath canner. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars completely and bring it to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. This will not only sterilize the jars but also keep them hot while you’re making the jam, preventing any cracking when the hot jam is poured in.

2. Prepare the Fruit

Begin by peeling and sectioning your orange, ensuring that the pith (the white part) is removed, as it can add bitterness to your jam. Coarsely chop the cranberries and the orange in a blender. The key here is not to puree the mixture but rather to chop it finely to maintain some texture in the final product.

Once you’ve chopped the cranberries and oranges, it’s time to add the strawberries. Like the cranberries, these should be finely chopped, but not blended into a puree. If you’re using frozen strawberries, make sure they are thawed first. Fresh strawberries, of course, will offer the best flavor. Also, add in the orange zest and spices at this stage. Stir everything together to ensure that the flavors are evenly distributed.

3. Cook the Jam

Place the chopped fruit mixture into a large 5-quart stockpot. Add a half-cup of water to the mixture to help it start breaking down. Now, stir in the powdered fruit pectin. Pectin is what helps the jam set properly, so it’s a crucial ingredient if you want a gelled, spreadable consistency.

A useful tip at this point is to add a small pat of butter (about half a teaspoon) to the mixture. This will help reduce foaming during the cooking process, which can otherwise result in unsightly bubbles in your jam.

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Once you’ve reached a vigorous boil, add in the sugar all at once. Make sure to stir continuously to prevent the jam from burning at the bottom of the pot. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil, and let it boil for exactly one minute. This part is critical to ensure that the pectin activates and your jam sets properly.

4. Test for Gel Stage

To ensure your jam is properly set, you can perform a quick “sheeting” test. Dip a cool, clean spoon into the jam and lift it out. If the jam drips off the spoon in two drops that come together and form a sheet, it’s ready to be jarred. If not, continue cooking it for a few more minutes and test again.

5. Jar and Process

Once your jam has reached the perfect consistency, immediately ladle it into your prepared, sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the rims of the jars clean, place the lids on top, and screw on the rings just until they’re finger-tight.

Place the jars back into your water-bath canner, ensuring they are covered by at least 2 inches of water. Bring the canner to a boil and process the jars for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and allow the jars to sit in the canner for another 5 minutes.

6. Cooling and Storing

Carefully remove the jars from the canner and place them on a towel-lined countertop. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Once cooled, check the seals by pressing the center of each lid. If it doesn’t pop back, the jar is sealed. Any jars that didn’t seal should be refrigerated and used within two weeks.

Properly sealed jars of Christmas Jam can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

Troubleshooting Your Christmas Jam

1. Jam Too Thick: If your jam is too thick, you can fix it by heating it gently and adding a little apple juice or port wine. This will help loosen it up without diluting the flavor.
2. Jam Too Thin: If your jam is runny after it’s been canned, you can recook it. Combine a jar of jam with 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of juice or port wine, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of powdered pectin per half pint of jam. Bring it to a hard boil for one minute, then jar and process it again.

Variations and Substitutes

1. Honey Instead of Sugar: You can substitute honey for the sugar in this recipe. Just use a little less honey than sugar. Also, consider using low-sugar pectin, as honey affects the jam’s ability to gel.
2. No Pectin Option: Cranberries and orange peels are naturally high in pectin, so if you don’t have powdered pectin on hand, you can omit it. However, your jam will take longer to reach the desired gel stage.