Spiced Christmas Jam Recipes

CHRISTMAS JAM

Steps:

• Grind strawberries and cranberries in a food processor or grinder; place in a Dutch oven. Add sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil; boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; stir in pectin and return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. , Cool for 5 minutes; skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

SPICED CRANBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, white sugar, turbinado sugar, water, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice, and pepper in a large pot over medium heat. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and cranberries pop, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Blend cranberry jam into desired consistency using an immersion blender.
• Pour jam into a glass pint jar; cool until thickened and set, about 1 hour. Seal jar and refrigerate.

SPICED CHRISTMAS JAM

Steps:

• Fill a boiling-water canner about 2/3 rds full with water and bring it to a boil.
• Pulse strawberries {if using frozen} and cranberries in a food processor or blender and then place prepared fruit into an 8 quart sauce pot. Add sugar and spices and stir. Bring to a full rolling boil; boil for 1 minute, stir.
• Remove from the heat; stir in the liquid pectin and return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat
• Skim off any foam with a spoon.
• Next, ladle the delicious jam mixture into hot prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe the jar rims and threads clean if needed. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner and then lower the rack into canner. Make sure the water is covering the jars by about 2 inches. Place the lid on the pot and bring the water to gentle boil.
• Process spiced Christmas jam 10 minutes. One recipe makes {12} 8oz jars
• Remove jars and place on a towel to cool. After 24 hours check the seals. If the lid springs back, jam is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

WINTER SPICE JELLY

Steps:

• Wash and cut up the apples into small chunks, leaving the peel and cores in. Tip the apple into a large pan with the spices, orange peel and bay leaves, reserving 2 star anise, 4 cloves and 2 bay leaves for the jars. Cover with 600ml water. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer with a lid on for 1 1⁄2 hrs.
• Pour the apple mixture into a jelly bag or a sieve lined with muslin or a J-cloth, suspended over a large bowl. Leave to drip for 2 hrs (until it stops dripping) or overnight. Do not be tempted to push the liquid though the sieve or your jelly will become cloudy.
• Measure the juice - you should have about 600ml. Pour the liquid into a large pan along with the jam sugar and vinegar.
• Set over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, stirring constantly. Once dissolved, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly for 15 mins, or until setting point is reached, skimming away any scum that rises to the surface.
• Pour jelly into hot sterilised jars and place a star anise, bay leaf and 2 cloves into each jar. Chill for 3-4 hrs or overnight until set.

SPICED PEAR JAM

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until thick, 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir more frequently as the mixture thickens. , Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Carefully ladle into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

ALICE'S CHRISTMAS JAM

Steps:

• 1. Place all the berries in a very large pot with the sugar.
• 2. Cook long enough for the cranberries to break.
• 3. I use a potato masher at this point and mush up all the fruit as the frozen strawberry pieces can be quite large. There will be a lot of foam, most of it will settle down but if there is a lot, I start skimming it off just before adding the pectin.
• 4. Add the pectin.
• 5. Bring it to a full rolling boil and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
• 6. Skim off any foam that has come to the top.
• 7. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
• 8. Pour into clean, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" at the top of each jar.
• 9. Put on caps and process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.
• 10. Let cool upside down overnight, making sure each jar is closed securely.
• 11. Note: If you do not have a pot large enough to hold all the berries (the pot needs lots of space when those berries start bubbling), halve the recipe and use 2 pouches liquid pectin.