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–+ servings
spiced cranberry jam

Easy Spiced Cranberry Jam

Rebecca Eisenberg
This easy spiced cranberry jam takes just a few minutes to make. It's so simple and uses just a few easy-to-find ingredients. It's just the right balance of sweet and tart, with a hint of fragrant orange and plenty of warm spices! The perfect way to take advantage of peak cranberry season in the fall.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 18 oz

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries (3 cups)
  • 10 ounces sugar (1¼ cups)
  • 1 orange (zested)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ⅛ teaspoon whole nutmeg (freshly grated)

Instructions
 

Spiced Cranberry Jam

  • Measure sugar and spices and set aside.
  • Cook cranberries in a medium sauce pot over medium heat until they start popping and breaking down, 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently, using a spatula or wooden spoon to mash the cranberries up as you go. If the berries start burning on the bottom of the pot in the first few minutes, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of water.
  • When the cranberries are as mashed up as you can get them and there's no liquid pooling in the bottom of the pot, reduce heat to low and use an immersion blender to break them up even more. (Skip this step for a chunky cranberry jam!)
  • Add the sugar, orange zest, and spices at all once and stir well to melt the sugar into the cranberry mixture. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the spiced cranberry jam mixture to a low boil, stirring constantly.
  • Cook at a low boil for 1-2 minutes until jam thickens. To check consistency, dollop a small amount of jam (¼ teaspoon) on a non-plastic plate and pop in the freezer for 20-30 seconds. Test it by spreading it on the plate with a knife or your finger; if it's runny, keep cooking the jam a few minutes more. If it spreads like jam, it's done!
  • Remove jam from heat and transfer to sterilized canning jar or airtight container to store.

Canning Process

  • Sterilize jars: Submerge glass canning jars upright in large pot with at least 1-2" of water of headroom. Bring to a boil for at least 10 minutes. They can stay longer than 10 minutes, just make sure to keep them fully submerged.
  • Sterilize lids: In a separate pot, submerge the flat part of the lids (not the rings) for at least 10 minutes, or until ready to use. Do not boil!
  • Carefully remove a jar from the water. Dry out the inside with a paper towel, then pour jam into the jar, leaving at least ¼" headspace at the top.
  • Run a knife or small offset spatula around the jar to knock out any air bubbles trapped inside. Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel to remove any debris or jammy bits.
  • Place one of the flat sterilized lids on the jar and screw the ring piece on so that it's "fingertip tight." (You should be able to unscrew it with little effort using just your fingertips.)
  • When all the jars have been filled, submerge them in a pot of boiling water with at least 1-2" of water above them. Cover with a well-fitting lid to create pressure inside the pot. Maintain a rolling boiling for 10 minutes, then uncover and turn the heat off. Let sit for 5 minutes, then remove the jars to a clean towel.
  • The lids should be perfectly flat on top or will "pop" flat within a few minutes of being removed from the water. Once they do, tighten the rings the rest of the way. Caution: Jars will be hot!
    If the lids don't pop flat, try flipping them upside down to cool. Otherwise repeat the canning process, knocking out air bubbles and making sure there's no debris in the way of the rubber seal.

RECIPE NOTES

  • This recipe makes enough jam to fill (1) sixteen fluid ounce jar, (2) eight fluid ounce jars, or (4) four fluid ounce jars of cranberry jam. An eight fluid ounce jar can hold approximately 9 ounces of jam by weight.
  • Shoutout to Chef Jody O'Sullivan for the tip to flip the jars upside down if the lids don't pop flat! It doesn't work every time, but when it does it's great to not have to repeat the canning process!
  • I've included cups measurements here because this doesn't rely on super precise measurements the way baking does. If you use the 2X or 3X buttons, only the weight measurements will scale up. Do the cups measurement multiplication on your own!
  • Recipe duration does not include canning time.
  • Jam will stay good for about a year in the fridge once opened. Canned jam should be stored in a cool, dark place where it will stay good for up to a year. Once opened, it should be refrigerated.