We Be Jammin'... Cranberry Jams Galore!

Cranberry Jam

Found on pinterest

Makes 2 half pints
1¼ pounds (5 cups) frozen or fresh Cranberries 

1 cup sugar finely grated zest and juice of 

1 lemon 

1 small apple, peeled and cored

Rinse the berries, if necessary, then drain well and put them in a nonreactive bowl with the sugar and lemon juice. Leave overnight, turning once or twice.

Coarsely grate the apple and add with the lemon zest to a pot. Strain in all the juice from the berries and add 2 heaping spoonfuls of berries (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup), leaving the rest of the berries in the bowl. Add 1/2 cup of water and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the apple is very soft and the entire mixture has thickened. Add the rest of the berries and heat through for 5 to 8 minutes. Pour into jars to 1/4 inch headspae, wipe rims, and assemble lids.

Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

Cranberry Pear Jam – Traditional Recipe

Adapted from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

Make 6-7 half pints 

Ingredients 

3 cups pears – cored, finely chopped and crushed (I kept the peels on – your choice) 

2/3 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped 

1/4 cup pomegranate juice or unsweetened apple juice or cider 

1/4 cup bottled lemon juice 

1 teaspoon cinnamon, organic preferred 

2 tablespoons powdered pectin 

1/2 teaspoon butter, to reduce foaming 

5 cups granulated sugar 

Directions In a large, non-reactive pot (I use a heavy bottom stainless steel pot), combine pears, dried cranberries, pomegranate or apple juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, butter and powdered pectin. Bring mixture to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Quickly stir in all sugar. Return to full rolling roil and boil exactly one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam, if desired.

Ladle into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two piece lids. Screw bands until snug. Process for 10 minutes in a water bath canner. Turn off heat, remove canner lid, let sit five minutes. Remove from canner and place on kitchen towel on counter top. After jars are cool, check seals. Refrigerate any jars that did not seal and use them first.

Cranberry Pear Lemon Jam

Submitted by Dawn R Crone-Rasmussen

Makes 8 - 4 oz jars.

4 large Bartlett Pears, peeled cored and diced (4 cups) 

3 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries 

½ cup water 

2 t. grated lemon rind 

2 T. bottled lemon juice 

1 ¼ cups sugar 

Combine pears, cranberries, water, and lemon rind in a large stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Gradually add lemon juice and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil rapidly, uncovered, until mixture will form a gel, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Ladle into hot jars, leaving ¼ headspace and process for 10 minutes at a full boil.

Cranberry Persimmon Jam

Adapted from recipe found on myvegetariankitchen

1 grapefruit, juice squeezed 

1/4 cup water 

1/2 cup sugar 

18 oz fresh cranberries 

6 ripe persimmons, peeled and cut into chunks 

Squeeze the juice from the grapefruit into a medium sized pan. Add the water and sugar to the pan, and set it to simmer until the sugar is dissolved – this is an important step to ensure the pectin in the cranberries is activated to create the jam. Add the cranberries and persimmons to the mix – simmer until the cranberries have popped open and the persimmons have cooked up well. Run mix through a food mill to strain. Add mixture into the jars to 1/4 inch headspace, wipe rims, and assemble lids.

Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Cranberry Potpourri Jam

Found on Pinterest

Makes 6 half pints 

2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries 

1 pound of sugar, divided 

1/4 cup orange zest, from 4 to 6 large oranges 

3 tablespoons lemon juice from about 2 lemons 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 

1/4 teaspoon table salt (or 1/2 teaspoon kosher alt) 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon butter 

Defrost the cranberries, if using frozen. Wash and dry the cranberries, then place them in a bowl. Mash them slightly with a potato masher, then sprinkle them with 1/4 cup of sugar. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. While the cranberries are sitting, place a small plate in the freezer so you can test the jam for proper thickness later.

Add the cranberries, orange zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne, and salt to a food processor and pulse a few times until the cranberries are chunky but not completely liquefied. Pour the fruit into a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Add brown sugar and butter, stirring well to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit begins to bubble and spit. Skim off any foam that forms. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently to keep the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Begin testing the jam for doneness. Spread 1/2 teaspoon of cooked fruit on the cold plate and place it back in the freezer. Wait 30 seconds, then run your finger through the fruit. It should be thick enough to maintain a path when you run your finger through it. If you’d like thicker jam, place the plate back in the freezer and cook the fruit for another 3 minutes and test again. Repeat until desired thickness is achieved, but be careful about cooking too long or you will alter the taste of your jam. Remove pot from heat and use a spoon to skim any foam from the surface of the fruit. Ladle jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch of headroom, and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Unopened jars will keep at room temperature for up to 6 months. Opened jam should be refrigerated.

Cranberry Walnut Jam

Found on kraftrecipes

Makes 7 half pints

2-2/3 cups prepared fruit (1 bag (12 oz.) cranberries, about 3 cups) 

1-1/2 cups water 

2/3 cup chopped Walnuts 

6-1/2 cups sugar 

1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional) 

1 pouch CERTO Fruit Pectin

PLACE cranberries and water in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Pour mixture into 6- or 8-quart saucepot. Stir in walnuts.

STIR sugar into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.

STIR in pectin quickly. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and assemble lids.

Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.