This Christmas Jam is made with strawberries, cranberries, and orange juice for a bright, sweet but tart jam. I also include a bit of cinnamon for some added warm flavor too. A spoonful of this is wonderful on toast, biscuits, scones, crepes, and more. And it’s also one of my favorite things to gift to friends, family, and acquaintances during the holiday season – it’s so delicious and pretty!
I love making homemade jam and there are a few that are in my fridge or pantry all year round, like red pepper jelly, fig jam, and peach jam. This Christmas jam is another favorite and always at the top of my gift-giving list when the holidays roll around. You can make it with fresh or frozen fruit, so no worries about getting strawberries out of season, and I love the balance of sweet and tart flavors. Not to mention how incredibly pretty it is!
What’s in this Christmas Jam Recipe?
This easy jam recipe is made with strawberries, cranberries, and a few other ingredients. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Strawberries – Frozen (thawed) strawberries are great for the sake of ease. Or fresh strawberries can be used when in season, just be sure to hull them first.
- Cranberries – Fresh and frozen cranberries both work. If using frozen, just be sure to thaw them first.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar helps to make the jam sweet and is also necessary for it to thicken properly.
- Fresh orange juice – Orange juice adds a bit of acidity to the jam, which balances the sweetness and ensures it sets properly.
- Cinnamon – Optional but adds a nice warm touch to the jam.
- Salt – Balances out some of the sweetness.
- Liquid fruit pectin – Pectin creates the perfect texture in jam and ensures it sets up.
Tips & Variations
- Have an extra jar or two cleaned and ready. Processing jam can produce over/under results and you don’t want to be caught off-guard with jam and nowhere to put it.
- Thaw frozen fruit. While you can use fresh or frozen fruit, your choice, the frozen berries do need to be thawed first. Otherwise, they’ll not only be difficult to blend, but you’ll also have too much liquid and a weird consistency.
- Don’t overcook it. If you cook the jam for too long, it can become too thick. It only needs a minute or two after you add the pectin! (On the flip side, if it’s too thin, it just needs to cook a bit longer.)
- Add some warm spices. I love adding cinnamon to my Christmas jam but other spices like cloves and allspice, or a combination of the three, would also be great.
Do I Have To Process The Jars For Canning?
Not necessarily. This recipe does make 14 jars of jam, so it’s nice to can it and have some in the pantry throughout the year. But if you halve the recipe or just eat a lot of jam, you can get away without the final step.
Ways To Enjoy Christmas Jam
There are plenty of ways to enjoy Christmas Jam. We love it smeared on our biscuits but it would also be great inside puff pastry twists, on thumbprint cookies, and on crepes or toast. It also makes a wonderful edible gift for friends, family, teachers, delivery drivers, and neighbors.
Proper Storage
- Fully processed jars. Jars of Christmas jam that have been processed for canning can be stored for up to 1 year in a cool, dry place.
- Fridge. If you’re not processing them for canning, allow the jam-filled jars to cool completely at room temperature, then store in the fridge. They’ll keep for several weeks.
- Freezer. Christmas jam also freezes well, as long as the container is freezer-proof. It will last for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before enjoying.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Christmas Jam
Ingredients
- 40 ounces frozen strawberries , thawed (or 2 & 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled)
- 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries , thawed
- 5 pounds granulated sugar (11 & 1/3 cups – see note below)
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon , optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 pouches liquid fruit pectin (3 ounces each)
Instructions
- Pulse strawberries and cranberries together in the bowl of a food processor until mostly smooth. (If you're using frozen fruit, make sure it's thawed first.)
- Transfer pureed fruit to a dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot.
- Add the sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the pectin. Place back on the heat and return to a full rolling boil again. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat. Cool for 5 minutes; skim off the foam.
- Carefully ladle hot jam into clean, warm 8 ounce glass jars, leaving a 1/2-inch clearance from the top. Pop any air bubbles, wipe the jar rims clean with a damp cloth, then seal the jars with lids and bands. Tighten to your fingertips.
- At this point, you can allow to cool completely at room temperature then enjoy, or store for later (storage info is in the article.) OR process the jars in a boiling water bath with water to cover fully for 10 minutes to ensure proper sealing and preservation. (Do not tilt the jars while adding and removing them from the water bath.) Once done, remove jars from the water using tongs and let the jars cool completely at room temperature without disturbing them.
- Enjoy as desired. We love it on toast, biscuits, scones, crepes, and yogurt!
Great recipe. Followed as written and it came out perfect!
This looks awesome as most of your recipes are Looking forward to try is there a download site for the labels on the jars?
I purchased the jars and labels from Amazon
I love your recipes. They are very detailed and the videos (when available) are helpful to those of us that cooking does not come naturally to.
I made the Christmas Jam (1/2 batch) this morning and it was awesome. Followed your instructions perfectly and the jam is delicious! I’m already planning on making more for Christmas for my neighbors. Thank you for this.
May I ask where you got the jars in the video. I’m so making these this weekend.
They’re Cehomi Glass Mason Jars – I got them on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/49fmOUK
This looks fabulous. Where can you purchase those adorable jars?
They’re Cehomi Glass Mason Jars – I got them on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/49fmOUK