Christmas Cranberry-Strawberry Spiced Jam Recipe
This festive Christmas Jam combines fresh cranberries and strawberries with warm spices, slow-cooked to perfection for a rich and flavorful holiday spread. Perfect for toast, cookies, or gifting, this jam is easy to make and captures the spirit of the season with its cozy cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove notes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 4 cups of jam 1x
- Category: Jam / Spread
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits
- 24 oz. fresh cranberries (about 6 cups)
- 16 oz. fresh strawberries
Spices
- 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp. ground cloves
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
Sweetener
- 2 cups brown sugar
Instructions
- Combine Ingredients: Add the fresh cranberries, strawberries, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and brown sugar into your slow cooker. Stir well to evenly distribute the spices and sugar among the fruit.
- Slow Cook: Set the slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 4 hours. Avoid opening the lid during cooking to retain heat and ensure the jam thickens properly.
- Blend the Jam: When cooking is complete, transfer the mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender to pulse the mixture until it reaches a jam-like consistency. Be careful not to over-blend to avoid turning it into cranberry butter.
- Cool the Jam: Allow the jam to cool completely. It will thicken significantly as it cools due to the natural pectin in cranberries.
- Store: Once cooled, transfer the jam into airtight containers for storage. Refrigerate and use within 2 to 3 weeks or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- Do not open the slow cooker lid during cooking to ensure proper thickness.
- Be cautious when blending; pulsing gently avoids turning the jam into a butter-like texture.
- Cranberries naturally contain pectin, which helps the jam thicken without additional pectin.
- This jam makes a great holiday gift when jarred in decorative containers.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated after opening, and consume within a few weeks.
Keywords: Christmas jam, cranberry strawberry jam, holiday jam, slow cooker jam, festive spread
