Easy Christmas Jam Recipe – without Pectin

My Easy Christmas Jam Recipe is fruity and delicious and makes a wonderful homemade gift. Essentially it’s a cranberry and apple jam, infused with orange and mixed spice for a fabulous festive flavour. 

This jam is perfect for teatime or serving alongside your Christmas turkey instead of cranberry sauce.

How this Easy Christmas Jam Recipe evolved!

Before developing my Easy Christmas Jam recipe, I wasn’t a fan of this festive preserve as I’d only tried shop-bought versions.  

I found them too heavily spiced and heavygoing due to the alcohol content.

So, after buying a punnet (carton) of cranberries I decided it was time to make a Christmas Jam with a lighter flavour.

I’d only made cranberries into Cranberry Curd before which tastes incredible. 

This spiced cranberry and apple jam doesn’t disappoint either! 

Apple brings a freshness to the cranberry flavour, orange a subtle citrus zing and mixed spice harmonises these festive flavours. 

With its jewel-like colour, it’s as beautiful as it is delicious.

Why You Will Love This Christmas Jam Recipe

1. It has a wonderful natural fruity texture as no food processor is used.
2. Makes a unique gift for the holiday season.
3. No pectin is needed so it’s budget-friendly.
4. Hassle-free as there’s no need for a muslin bag to hold spices, unlike some recipes. 
5. Quick to make, just 28 minutes!
6. Homemade jam tastes fresher and better than anything you can buy in a shop!
7. Versatile, use it as a jam or in place of cranberry sauce.

How to Make This Easy Christmas Jam Recipe

Full instructions are at the bottom of this post.

Equipment

• Paring knife
• Chopping Board
• Fine grater (Microplane)
• preserving pan
• Long wooden spoon
• 2 Saucers/small plates
• Ladle
• Jam funnel
• 4 x 220 ml Glass jars with lids

Ingredients

• Fresh cranberries: you could use frozen.
• Cooking apples: I use Bramley apples.
• Orange zest & juice: wash and scrub to remove the wax coating before zesting.
• Mixed spice: a blend of ground cinnamon, coriander, caraway, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
• Sugar: ordinary granulated sugar, not sugar substitutes or preserving sugar (gives stiff jam in my opinion).

Christmas Jam Instructions

• Begin by rinsing cranberries and juicing/zesting 1 to 2 oranges (see recipe below for exact instructions)
• Peel, core, and finely slice the apple. (Weigh as you go along to get the correct weight).
• Add the cranberries, apple slices, mixed spice, orange juice, and zest to a preserving pan (or similar) with a tight-fitting lid.
• On low heat (with lid on), simmer the fruit mixture gently for 10 minutes or until the apple has softened and all the cranberries have popped.
• Lower the heat, stir in the sugar, and break down the apple slices with the back of a spoon. (Do not simmer)!
• Stir the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Bring to a rolling boil (full boil) and time for 5 minutes (or until 104°C or 219°F is reached on a digital thermometer), then remove from heat.
• To test for set, place a few drops of jam on a chilled saucer and return to the fridge for 30 seconds.
• Push your finger through the jam which shouldn’t be watery anymore but gel-like and form a crinkle.
• If the jam hasn’t reached the setting point, bring it back to a rolling boil for another minute and repeat the test until ready.
• Pot up the hot jam into hot jars (a jam funnel is handy) and clip or screw on the lids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Serving Suggestions

This Easy Christmas Jam recipe has so many culinary uses:

• Sweet Treat: spread it on croissants, Scotch pancakes, English muffins, Christmas Soda Bread, or scones for afternoon tea.
• Savoury Snack: pair it with a thick slice of buttered sourdough and melted Camembert or Brie.   
• Desserts: stir a spoonful into rice pudding, semolina, Greek yogurt, etc.
• Sweet Bakes: add it to cakes eg Victoria Sandwich and cookies eg Thumbprint Cookies etc.
• Savoury Bakes: use in Brie & Cranberry Tear & Share Wreath, and Turkey & Cranberry Filo Tarts, etc. 
• Festive Cheeseboard or Charcuterie Board: served with crackers like my Chia & Sesame Seed Crackers.
• Condiment: serve in place of cranberry sauce or jelly with Roast Turkey, Stuffed Turkey Breast Steaks, Turkey Meatloaf, Nut Roast, etc.

More Seasonal Preserves

This spiced cranberry and apple jam is the perfect gift. Here are some more curd, jelly, and jam recipes that would also make great holiday gifts.

• Cranberry Curd
• Snowball (Eggnog) Curd
• Granny’s Quick Lemon Curd 
• Blood Orange Curd with Power Blender Option
• Orange Marmalade (shredless or with shreds)
• Easy Crab Apple Jelly
• Rosehip & Apple Jelly
• Cherry Jam 
• Sloe & Apple Jam 
• Blueberry Jam
• Easy Grape Jam

I know you’ll love my Easy Christmas Jam recipe as it’s versatile, fruity, and delicious. 

Why not make an extra batch for gifting this Christmas? Otherwise, you may find yourself not wanting to part with any jars!

Pin this Easy Christmas Jam for later!

Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.

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Easy Christmas Jam

Easy Christmas Jam is a cranberry and apple jam, flavoured with orange and mixed spice (without pectin). Enjoy at tea time as a spread or as a condiment with roast turkey, cheese etc. Perfect for gifting!

Course condiment, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 28 minutes minutes

Servings 4 x 220 ml jars

Author Camilla Hawkins

Equipment

• Paring knife
• Chopping Board
• Fine grater (Microplane)
• preserving pan
• long wooden spoon
• 2 saucers/small plates
• ladle
• jam funnel
• 4 x 220 ml glass jars with lids (or other combination)

Ingredients

• 300 g cranberries
• 300 g cooking apples Bramley apples, weight when peeled, cored & quartered
• 150 ml freshly squeezed orange juice from 1 – 2 oranges
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest from 1 – 2 oranges
• ¼ teaspoon mixed spice optional
• 600 g granulated sugar

Instructions

• Thinly slice the apple quarters (from top to bottom).
• Place in a preserving pan (or similar) with cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and mixed spice.
• Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and gently simmer for about 10 minutes or until apple is softened and cranberries have all popped.
• Lower the heat, add the sugar and stir until dissolved, whilst breaking up the apple with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Bring the pan to a rolling boil on a high heat, stirring continuously and set a timer for 5 minutes (or boil until 104°C or 219°F is reached on a digital or jam thermometer). Then remove from the heat.
• Test for set by pouring a few drops of jam onto a chilled saucer, then put in fridge for 30 seconds.
• Push a finger through the jam which should no longer be watery and form a gel like crinkle. (Harder to see in this jam as it’s so fruity but you’ll know if it’s standing upright on the plate).
• Pot up immediately into hot jars (using a ladle and jam funnel if you have one) and screw or clip on lids whilst jam is still hot.
• Jam is ready to serve once cool.
• Store in a cool, dry, dark place and once open in the fridge (use within a few months). For best quality and colour eat within 12 months but will be safe to eat for years.

Notes

Place 2 saucers/small plates in the freezer.
Sterilise 4 x 220 ml jars by washing them in hot soapy water (or take them straight from the dishwasher), fill with boiling water, empty, and then place in the oven for 20 minutes at 140°C (185°F) where you leave them until the jam is ready. Washed lids should be sterilised with boiling water and left to drain (if still wet place in the oven once you’ve turned the heat off and run with just the fan for a few minutes).

Originally posted 15/12/2021 updated 07/11/2024.