Homemade cranberry jam is our favorite condiment to roasted turkey alongside the fresh horseradish apple dip. They pair up so nicely. The cranberry jam delivers its pungent sweet acidic tartness while the horseradish sparks with its aromatic and intense refreshing flavor. But, of course, the jam is also a popular one in crepes, pancakes, or just simply on a morning slice of a warm buttery toast. You can also use the homemade cranberry jam to kick up the filling, like the one in the stuffed pork tenderloin with cranberries, walnuts, chestnuts, kale, and brie.
A Note on Cranberries
Cranberries have a short season, so if you want to prolong their use, you can either freeze them or make a preserve like this homemade cranberry jam.
Being very acidic and with a note of astringent taste, they are great to counterbalance intense deep flavors, like cheese, red meat, etc. Given their health benefits, it does not hurt to include them in our routine morning toast.
Cranberries are very rich in pectin, making them super suitable for jam.
How to Make the Homemade Cranberry Jam
It is pretty simple to make homemade cranberry jam. You simply toss everything into a pot and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the jam has a thicker consistency.
An excellent and fast way to test is to smear some hot jam onto a plate from the freezer, wait for 5-10 seconds and taste it. If you push the jam with a spoon, it should form ribbons and not be runny.
Once it is cooked, take out the spices and ladle the jam into a sterilized jar. Close tightly and decide whether you will use it within the two weeks; else, you need to preserve it in a hot water bath.
I like to leave the chunks of cranberries intact for a more rough structure. If you like your jam more smooth, blitz the cooked jam with a food processor or blender after taking the spices out.
About the Spices and Flavors
Due to the tartness and high acidity, the cranberries take on the spices pretty well. The spices add a dimension of flavor and aromas without impairing the base cranberry flavor.
Since you will be using many whole spices, it is good to use a spice bag or a very thin cheesecloth to wrap the spices in. It makes it easier to take the spices out once the jam is cooked.
In case you don’t have the spice bag, remember to pick out the spices before canning the jam. It would not be pleasant to chew on cloves or any of the mentioned spices. I usually don’t bother with the spice bag and just fetch the spices out in the end. It takes a minute or so.
It helps to count the number of cloves you added so that you know when you are done fetching them out 😉
In this recipe, I also use clementines. Their sweet, fruity, citrusy aroma and fragrance pairs up so nicely with the cranberries, adding another dimension of acidity into the mix.
Variations
Another great option is to add some persimmons into the mix. The texture is much creamier, and you get an extra dimension of flavor.
Just be careful with the astringency of the persimmons and use only very ripe ones. Bets bet is to try the persimmon before adding to your jam mix.
If you opt for this option, add about one large persimmon.
Storing the Homemade Cranberry Jam
The way you store the cranberry jam depends on the quantity you make and the time period in which you want to use it. However, you should always properly sterilize the jars for any option you choose.
If you make a smaller batch, you can keep it in the fridge. It should be good for two weeks.
However, if you are like me and would love to enjoy it for more extended periods, you will need to preserve the jam by slowly simmering the jars. See the details of the process in the recipe.
Other Jam Recipes
Homemade Cranberry Jam
Equipment & Tools
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Strainer medium
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Canning jar 270ml (1 cup)
- 1 Spice bag
- 1 Cooking pot medium
- 1 Dessert plate
- 1 Jar funnel optional
INGREDIENTS
- 445 g cranberries (fresh or frozen, not thawed)
- 122 g clementine juice and zest (~ 3 clementines)
- 100 g brown sugar (muscovado)
- 100 g sugar (unrefined, granulated)
- 1 vanila bean (Tahitian; split in half; seeds scraped)
- 2 tbsp Grand Marnier
SPICES
- 10 cardamom pods (green)
- 1 cinnamon stick (Ceylon)
- 1 tsp cloves (whole)
INSTRUCTIONS
PREPARATION
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Wash the canning jar and place in the oven at 100ºC (212ºF) to dry and sterilize. Place a small plate in the freezer.
COOKING THE JAM
- Add all the ingredients except the spices into a cooking pot.
- Cut the vanilla in half, scrape the seeds and add the seeds and the bean to the pot.
- Place all the dry spices in the spice bag, if using. Else, add them as is to the cooking pot. Stir to combine.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until the jam is thick and there is no more liquid left in the pan – Note 1.
- Take the spices out from the jam.
- (Optional) Strain the cooked mixture through a fine sieve or process in the food processor if you want more smooth texture.
- Ladle the jam into a sterilized jar – Note 2.
- Close tightly and let it cool to room temperature.
STORING THE JAM – SHORT TIME PERIOD
- The jam can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.
(OPTIONAL) PRESEVING THE JAM – LONG TIME PERIOD STORAGE
- Using a large stainless steel pot place a canning rack on the bottom. See note if you don't have a canning rack – Note 3.
- Carefully place the filled jars on the canning rack.
- Add hot boiling water to the pot so that the jar is almost submerged. The water level should be about 1/4in below the lid.
- Turn the heat on to medium to achieve a very slow simmer. Simmer for at least 10 minutes.Turn the heat off and let the jars cool a bit before taking them out. Approximately 15 minutes. Take the jars out on a cooling rack and let cool completely – Note 4.
- With a cloth wipe the water marks from the jar and store in a cool place.
NOTES
- Cranberries will release a lot of water once they start to cook. Adjust the heat while cooking and make sure the jam does not burn. Toward the end of the cooking process, as the liquid evaporates, increase the frequency of stirring. An excellent and fast way to test if the jam is cooked is to smear some hot jam onto a plate from the freezer, wait for 5-10 seconds and taste it. If you push the jam with a spoon, it should form ribbons and not be runny.
- Ensure there is no jam on the rim of the jar, as this will prevent it from sealing tightly, allowing for more air to circulate and reducing the shelf life. The easiest way is to use the jar funnel.
- If you don’t have a canning rack for the pot, use kitchen cloth. It is important for the jars not to be directly on the heat source. Just fold the kitchen cloth so that it covers the bottom of the pot and it is folded at least 4 times. If it is too small for 4 folds then use two cloths. Make sure that when you place the jars they are leveled and not tilted to the side.
- The jam is properly preserved if the top of the lid is convex or indented inward and pressing on it does nothing. If it is concave and when you press it, it indents inwards then you should reseal the jar and repeat the preserving process since the jar did not seal airtight. Or just consume this jar first.
