Cranberry Apple Christmas Jam
If you've got a little over an hour to spare (just 20 minutes of hands-on time), you can have a batch of this festive, delicious Cranberry Apple Christmas Jam ready to roll out the door. The festive free printable labels make this perfect for gifting!
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced apples (I use my Vidalia Chopper - see Café Tips) about ¼-inch dice, you'll need about 3 large apples, I use Honey Crisp but other apples will also work. See the Café Tips in the post.
- 5 cups fresh cranberries (I use my Vidalia Chopper - see Café Tips) chopped (frozen will also work)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
For jam that will be stored in the refrigerator or freezer:
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Wash your jars and lids in hot, soapy water then rinse all and set aside.
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Peel, core and dice the apples into ¼-inch pieces then combine them with the sugar and lemon juice in a large pot. Stir well and allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes (or up to an hour).
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Add all remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thickened to your preference. Take note that it will thicken more as it cools.
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Ladle the jam into the prepared jars, (leave a half-inch headspace at the top) then screw the lids on tightly. Allow the jam to cool completely then store in the refrigerator or freezer when not in use.
For jam that will be preserved with a hot water bath:
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Prepare the jars according to these instructions.
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Peel, core and dice the apples into ¼-inch pieces then combine them with the sugar and lemon juice in a large pot. Stir well and allow the mixture to sit for at least 30 minutes (or up to an hour).
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Add all remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thickened to your preference. Take note that it will thicken more as it cools.
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Ladle the jam into the prepared jars then follow these instructions for processing the jam in a hot water bath.
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This jam will be stable at room temperature before being opened but should be refrigerated after opening.
Recipe Notes
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.
This recipe makes 5-6 cups of jam. The number of jars will depend on the size of your jars.