Festive Cranberry Strawberry Spice Jam Recipe
This festive Christmas Jam recipe combines fresh cranberries and strawberries with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, slow-cooked to perfection with brown sugar to create a deliciously spiced, naturally pectin-rich jam that’s perfect for holiday breakfasts or gifting.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 4 cups of jam
- Category: Jam
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
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
- Add Ingredients: Combine fresh cranberries, strawberries, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and brown sugar into the slow cooker. Stir thoroughly to distribute the spices and sugar evenly.
- Cook Slowly: Set the slow cooker to HIGH and let the mixture cook for 4 hours. Avoid opening the lid during cooking to maintain heat and consistency.
- Blend the Jam: After cooking, transfer the contents to a blender or use an immersion blender and pulse a few times until the mixture forms a jam-like consistency. Be careful not to over-blend to prevent creating cranberry butter.
- Cool and Store: Allow the jam to cool completely. It will thicken further as it cools due to the natural pectin in cranberries. Once cooled, store in sterilized jars for future use.
Notes
- Do not open the slow cooker lid during cooking to ensure proper jam consistency.
- Use an immersion blender for easier blending and less cleanup.
- Avoid over-blending to prevent the jam from turning into cranberry butter.
- Jam thickens naturally as it cools because of the pectin in cranberries.
- Ensure jars are sterilized before storing to preserve the jam safely.
