Spiced Christmas Jam
This Spiced Christmas Jam captures the cozy warmth of the holidays with sweet strawberries, tart cranberries, bright orange zest, and festive spices. It’s the BEST homemade Christmas jam for gifting and preserving — filled with classic holiday aroma and flavor.
Servings: 8 half-pint jars
Calories: 50kcal
Equipment
- Water bath canner for processing jars
- Large stainless steel pot for boiling fruit mixture
- Jar lifter for safely removing jars
- Canning funnel for cleanly filling jars
- Clean towels to protect cooling jars
Ingredients
- 40 ounces crushed strawberries, frozen unsweetened with juice
- 1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (zest of about 2 oranges)
- 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice (required for canning safety)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 5 pounds granulated sugar
- 2 pouches (3 oz each) liquid fruit pectin
Instructions
- Wash all jars, lids, and bands in hot soapy water. Keep jars warm in a simmering water bath canner to prevent cracking during filling.
- In a large deep stainless-steel pot, combine crushed strawberries, cranberries, and bottled lemon juice. Stir in orange zest, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Add all 5 pounds of sugar and both pouches of liquid pectin. Stir vigorously to dissolve sugar and prevent clumping.
- Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil hard for exactly 1 minute, ensuring the bubbles do not stop when stirred.
- Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle the hot jam into warm jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, apply lids, and screw bands fingertip-tight.
- Place jars in a boiling water bath, ensuring at least 1 inch of water covers them. Process for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude). Remove canner lid, let sit for 5 minutes, then remove jars.
- Cool jars undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check the seals — the center of the lid should not pop when pressed. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.
Notes
Always use bottled lemon juice (not fresh) for canning safety. Be sure to boil hard for 1 minute to properly set the pectin. This jam also freezes beautifully if you prefer to skip the water bath canning process.