17. November 2022
Our friend and guest blogger Chez LaRaeworked up thisfestive jam canningrecipe. You can follow LaRae’s amazing food adventures onInstagramand herwebsite. LaRaeis a self-taught baker, cooking and baking instructor, & recipe developer.See LaRae's otherrecipe guest blog posts.
Holiday Jam is like Christmas in a jar with its gorgeous ruby red color and rich, warm spices. This jam makes festive hostess gifts or cute stocking stuffers. Serve with waffles, pancakes, cheese platters or alongside savory, holiday dinners.
Decorate your jars with Custom Apothecary Santa labels or Custom Apothecary Christmas canning labels which come in red and green options. Shop all of our Custom Holiday Canning Labels.
Note:This recipe cannot be doubled. Make one batch at a time or make two batches in two separate pots side-by-side.
Christmas Jam
Recipe modified from America’s Test Kitchen’s “Foolproof Preserving”
Special equipment: Instant-read thermometer
Preservation method: Water bath canning
Difficulty level: Easy to moderate
YIELD: Makes 4 half-pint jars
- 16 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 lb (about 2) granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp freshly grated orange zest + ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Place a small plate in the freezer for a jam “frozen plate test” (See details below).
Place the canning rack in the bottom of a boiling water canner, then place empty jars on the rack. Add water to the jars and the canner until the jars are about two-thirds full. Cover the canner and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.
In a Dutch oven, bring cranberries, apples, water, orange zest, and juice to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally until cranberries burst, about 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg and continue to boil until sugar has dissolved.
Remove Dutch oven from heat. Crush fruit with a potato masher until desired consistency is achieved. Return mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is thickened and registers 217 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring continuously. Remove pot from heat.
Frozen plate test: To test jam’s consistency, remove the frozen plate from the freezer. Place one teaspoon of jam on the plate. Drag your finger or a wooden spoon through the jam. The jam has the correct consistency when your finger or spoon leaves a distinct trail that doesn’t run back together. If runny, return the pot to the heat and simmer one minute longer before retesting.
Ladle jam immediately into prepared jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads with a moistened towel. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands to finger-tip tight.
Place jars onto a rack in the canner. Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Cover, and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, process the jam for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let jars sit in the canner for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After the jars cool, check seals by pressing the centers of lids with your finger. If the lid springs back, the lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.
Let prepared jars stand at room temperature 24 hours. After 24 hours, layer CanningCrafts’jam jar fabriconto jars and screw on lids. Tieribbonsaround the top, affix CanningCrafts’custom holiday labels, and write dates on jars. Store unopened jam in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
Decorate your jars withCustom Apothecary Santa labelsorCustom Apothecary Christmas canning labelswhich come in red and green options. Shop all of ourCustom Holiday Canning Labels.
Shop for Custom Christmas Canning Labels
Want more Christmas Jam recipes? See our Black Forest Macaroon Jam Canning Recipe.
See our DIY Christmas Mason Jar Gift Ideas blog post for other recipes & holiday decor.
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Canning Chez LaRae Christmas Holiday Jam Recipe
Comments (3)
Diane on November 06, 2023
Delicious Jam
Thank You for the recipe
Ali on December 17, 2023
Do you leave the water in the jars when you put the jam in it?
CanningCrafts on December 17, 2023
Ali,
You’ll want to dump the water out of the jars before putting the jam in. But whatever tiny amount of water that is left in the jar after dumping it out will usually evaporate. Any tiny drops of water left are fine.
Alison
CanningCrafts
FAQs
1) The Saucer Test
Once you think that your jam has reached its setting point or has thickened, spoon a bit of the jam on the cold plate and tilt it vertically so the jam runs. You are aiming for a slow descent, not a runny mess. If it runs slow, it's set!
Is freezer jam better than canned jam? ›
The biggest difference between freezer jam and canned jam is in taste. Both are jams and are great on sandwiches, rolls, biscuits and the like, but freezer jam is never cooked, thus making it taste fresh just like a perfectly ripe strawberry.
Do you let jam cool before canning? ›
Let them cool for a few minutes. Using the measuring cup (and a sanitized funnel, if you have one), fill the jars with the hot jam just until the jam hits the middle line of the top of the jar.
Does lemon juice thicken jam? ›
With a simple lemon juice trick, your homemade jam will achieve your desired thick texture. Preparing jam is about capturing the sweet essence of the fruit while simultaneously cooking it down to the perfect syrupy consistency.
How much lemon juice for canning jam? ›
I generally add one ounce of lemon juice for every two pounds of fruit when jamming higher-acid fruit (like tart plums, cherries, or raspberries), and about two ounces for lower-acid fruit (like sweet strawberries).
Why can't you fill freezer jam jars right to the top? ›
Don't fill your jars too full.
More liquid means more expansion and trust us, you are better SAFE than sorry! Seal the filled jars with a lid. We prefer to use two-piece lids. You can reuse lids over and over again for freezing, not just one time use like for canning.
Can you freeze homemade jam instead of canning? ›
Yes! You can store cooked (traditional) and uncooked jams (freezer) in the freezer. On occasion, I do make a cooked jam like this Easy Strawberry Jalapeno Jam or this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly. I still just pour the jam into jars and pop them in the freezer once the pectin has set.
How long does homemade jam last without canning? ›
If you're making fruit jam at home and skipping the canning process, what is often called quick jam or freezer jam, store in the fridge or freezer to preserve, and be aware that it should be consumed within 10 days if refrigerated and 3 months if frozen. It's not shelf stable without proper canning.
Do you put lids on jars when jam is hot? ›
As soon as the preserves are spooned or poured into the sterilised jars or bottles, they must be correctly sealed to prevent deterioration. Fill the hot dry jars right to the top – preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot.
What is the saucer test for jam? ›
Spoon a little of the hot conserve onto the cold saucer. Return to the freezer for 2 minutes or until chilled. Touch the conserve. If it wrinkles and feels gel-like, it's ready to bottle.
As long as the seal is sound, jams can be stored in a dark, room temperature place for 12 to 18 months. But that's just a “best by” guideline, clarifies Harris: “If the seal is good, there is no visible mold, and the jam looks, smells, and tastes fine it should be OK to eat much beyond that time frame,” she wrote.
What is a substitute for pectin? ›
Pectin Substitute
Cornstarch - Another plant-based thickening agent, cornstarch is a great substitute for pectin. Gelatin - For non-vegan menu items, you can substitute gelatin for pectin, but it will yield a different consistency.
Why won t my jam get to 220? ›
there isn't enough pectin—use a combination of ripe and slightly under-ripe fruit. you didn't heat the jam for long enough which likely means you have too much water in it—it's too dilute. you didn't heat the jam enough to hit the jam setting point (around 104 °C or 220 °F).
What happens if you add cornstarch to jam? ›
Pectin is a settling agent used to thicken jams or jellies. This recipe calls for cornstarch, which also works as a thickening agent as the jam cools.
Does it matter if jam is runny? ›
If you don't want to invest any additional work in that jam, the best choice to make is to change your expectations. If the finished product is just sort of runny, call it preserves (they can be great stirred into oatmeal or yogurt, or spooned over waffles).
Why is my canned jam runny? ›
If there isn't enough pectin in the fruit itself and you don't add extra pectin, the result is runny jelly or jam. Additionally, if the fruit is overripe, its pectin levels are lower. Added pectin comes in a couple of forms. You can find powdered pectin and liquid pectin at grocery stores and online.
Does jam get thicker as it cools? ›
Once the jam is done cooking, it may look a little thin, but just remember that it will thicken in the fridge as it cools. For a thicker version (good for fruits that are low in pectin, like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and peaches), add a tablespoon of pectin powder.
How long does it take jam to firm up? ›
Give the jam 24-48 hours to set up (because truly, sometimes it can take that long for pectin to reach the finished set). If it still hasn't set, it's time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don't want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time.
