Christmas Jam

We love making homemade jams for this holidays. They taste so much better than store bought jams and they are loaded with flavor. This Christmas Jam is made with fresh fruit and simple spices.

It is delicious topped on your biscuits, toast or place in bowls for your charcuterie board. It is the best delicious, festive dessert that can be served many different ways.

Strawberry jam is one of our favorites, but you can also make other homemade jam recipes to share as holiday gifts. Place the jam in holiday jars for a unique holiday gift.

What is Christmas Jam?

Christmas Jam has all the warm flavors that we all love during the holidays. It is made with strawberries, cranberries, orange zest, ground cinnamon and more. It is sweetened with sugar and thickened with liquid pectin.

This jam has a sweet-tart flavor and can be made with fresh or frozen berries. The warm spices can easily be changed to make it your own. It makes the perfect holiday gift or placed on your holiday charcuterie board.

Homemade Christmas Gift Idea

There is nothing better than homemade gifts around the holidays. It takes a little planning, but it is the perfect idea when you are ensure of what to get someone.

This Christmas Jam is perfect for friends, neighbors or your kids teachers. Place it in a pint jars and tie a festive ribbon for the perfect holiday gift.

Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

Variation Ideas

• Change the Fruit – This jam recipe can be made with a mixture of fruit. Feel free to use frozen fruit or fresh fruit.
• Sugar – We recommend using granulated sugar for this recipe. The recipe calls for a 4 pound bag of sugar and you will need to use all of this. Do not try to substitute the sugar with any other sugar as it will not work with this recipe.
• Seasoning – Feel free to change the seasoning to what you prefer. You can add in ground cinnamon, lemon juice, nutmeg or ginger.
• Cranberry Jam – You can make this recipe without the strawberries and just make a cranberry jam.

How to Make Christmas Jam

• Step 1 – Crush the Fruit – Place the fresh strawberries and fresh cranberries in a food processor. Then pulse the ingredients into large pieces but do not puree.  

Step 2 – Pour into Pan – Pour the mixture into a large pan or pot or Dutch oven.

Step 3 – Mix in Seasoning – Stir in the orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, all spice and granulated sugar. 

Step 4 – Bring to Boil – Bring the mixture to a boil (stirring frequently).  Then boil the mixture for 1 minute. 

Step 5 – Stir in Fruit Pectin – Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the liquid fruit pectin.  Bring the mixture back to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 more minute (stirring constantly). Let the mixture cool.

Step 6 – Place in Jars – Pour the mixture into a storing jar. Leaving approximately ¼ inch of space toward the tops. Process the jar in a water bath for 10 minutes.  

Step 7 – Remove from the water bath and clean off with a clean towel.  Let the hot jars sit at room temperature for 12 hours. Then check to make sure that the jars seal correctly. 

Recipe Tips

• Preparing Fruit – If you plan on canning the jam or giving out as gifts. Make sure you use the correct weight amount for the fruit. The ratio for sugar and acid has to be accurate to create a safe jam.
• Thaw Fruit – If using frozen berries, we recommend thawing them about half way. It makes it easier to chop them in the processor.
• Chopping Fruit – When put the fruit mixture in the food processor, you are not pureeing it. You are just chopping it to move to the pot to boil. If you do not have a food processor, you can chop the fruit by hand.
• Orange Peel – When preparing the orange zest, make sure you just get the outer layer of the orange. Avoid zesting any of the white part as it could add a bitter taste to the jam.
• Adding in Fruit Pectin – It is important when adding in the liquid pectin that you only boil for 1 minute. This helps to thicken the jam and boiling to long could cause the mixture to break down.
• Cut in Half – If you prefer you can make this jam in a half batch. Just cut the ingredients in half and be sure all the ratios are the same. This is extremely important if you are canning the jam.

How to Serve Christmas Jam

Christmas Jam can be served with many different things. We love to place in small bowls and place on a charcuterie board. It is delicious served with cheese and crackers or on your favorite biscuits.

It would even be delicious topped on a thumbprint cookies. Add the Christmas Jam to a shortbread recipe for a delicious twist. We have even added it to our oatmeal or yogurt for a amazing flavor.

How to Store Leftovers

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.