Christmas Jam

Strawberry and Cranberry Christmas Jam combines the sweetness of strawberries with the tartness of cranberries, creating a bright and flavorful preserve with a perfect balance of sweet and tangy notes. This jam is enhanced with warming spices, making it an ideal spread for the holiday season.

The jam can be spread on toast, served with cheeses, or used as a topping for desserts like cakes and ice cream. It’s often packaged as a thoughtful gift during the holiday season, making it a popular homemade treat for Christmas celebrations.

Strawberry and Cranberry Christmas Jam Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 5 cups granulated sugar (adjust based on your sweetness preference)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (helps balance the tartness)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional, for extra citrusy depth)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, for added warmth)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the fruit:
    • Thaw the frozen strawberries.
    • Rinse the cranberries
    • Puree the strawberries with the cranberries using a food processor. I found added both fruit helped the cranberries puree a little easier.
  2. Cook the fruit:
    • In a large saucepan, combine the strawberries and cranberries. Add the sugar. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil.
    • Once the mixture starts to simmer, add the spices.
  3. Add the sugar and spices:
    • Stir in the , cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and orange zest (if using). Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The mixture will start to thicken as it cooks down.
    • Remove from the heat and add the fruit pectin.
  4. Cook the jam:
    • Let the jam return to a boil for another minute, stirring constantly. .
  5. Add vanilla extract (optional):
    • Once the jam has boiled, stir in the vanilla extract for a warm, aromatic flavor boost.
  6. Jar the jam:
    • Sterilize your jars by boiling them in water for 10 minutes, or by running them through a dishwasher cycle.
    • Carefully spoon the hot jam into the sterilized jars, leaving about ¼ inch of space at the top. Wipe the rims clean with a damp cloth before sealing the jars with lids.
  7. Seal and cool:
    • If you want to preserve the jam long-term, you can process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes to ensure they seal properly. Alternatively, you can store the jam in the fridge for up to 3-4 weeks or freeze it for longer storage.

Serving Suggestions:

  • Spread on toast or scones for a festive breakfast or brunch.
  • Use as a topping for cream cheese or goat cheese on crackers for a holiday appetizer.
  • Spoon over vanilla ice cream or cheesecake for a delicious dessert.

This Strawberry and Cranberry Christmas Jam is a perfect homemade gift, too. It captures the flavors of the season and adds a personal, heartfelt touch to your holiday celebrations. Enjoy!

Cranberry Tangerine Scones

I am a sucker for a good scone. One of my favorite afternoon treats is a delicious coffee and a scone. I like to make these into small size scones so I don’t ruin my appetite or my exercise efforts. The little treat is so worth it, though.

These tangerine cranberry scones are super delicious pretty much any time of day. Not just for afternoon coffee time. You could have them for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Health Benefits of Cranberries:

As far as healthy foods go, cranberries are at the top of the list due to their high nutrient and antioxidant content and are often referred to as a “super food.” Not to mention, half a cup of cranberries contains only 25 calories! The possible health benefits of consuming cranberries include lowered risk of urinary tract infections, prevention of certain types of cancer, improved immune function, decreased blood pressure and more.

Ingredients:

Scones

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold salted butter, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon grated tangerine or orange zest
  • 1 cup chopped dried cranberries
  • ¾ cup plus 4 tablespoons heavy cream

Glaze

Directions:

For the scones:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large glass bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry cutter or fingers until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the tangerine zest and dried cranberries.
  3. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add ¾ cup of the heavy cream. Mix the dough together. It should have a slightly dry texture, but not crumbly. Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream if the dough seems too dry.
  4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it for 1 minute. Form the dough into a round 1-inch thick, and use a knife or a pizza 4. cutter to cut the round into 8 equal wedges. Arrange the wedges in a round, but about 1 inch apart, on the baking sheet. Brush the wedges with 4 tablespoons heavy cream and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the scones are golden and the edges are lightly toasted.

For the glaze:

  1. In a glass bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, tangerine zest, orange juice, and tangerine essential oil. Drizzle the glaze on top of the warm scones.

Serve the scones warm or cold. Either way they will be delicious!

*Note: It is important to be sure you are using an essential oil that is safe for consumption. Many so called ‘essential oils’ from drugstores and grocery stores are quite toxic if taken internally. I choose to use only Certified Pure Therapuetic Grade doTERRA Essential oils. I recommended working closely with someone who can mentor you on the use of essential oils. You can also downloaded this free ebook that is a perfect guide for using essential oils.

I would love to hear what you think! Comment below and let me know if you loved these!

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