Best Christmas Jam for Gifts | A Low Sugar Recipe
The best Christmas jam for gifts is one that’s festive, flavorful, and easy to make — and this cranberry-strawberry jam fits the bill perfectly. It’s warm with holiday spices and looks beautiful in a simple mason jar.
This homemade jam makes a thoughtful gift for friends, family, or neighbors and adds a personal touch to any holiday basket.
Want more ideas? Visit our Jams and Jellies page to learn how to make homemade jams and jellies.
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Quick Summary Steps
- Step 1: Chop and cook fruit with spices, pectin, water, and butter until juicy.
- Step 2: Bring to a rolling boil, add sugar, and boil 1 minute.
- Step 3: Heat water bath canner; wash and prep jars and lids.
- Step 4: Fill jars with hot jam, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Seal with lids and rings.
- Step 5: Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then rest 5 minutes.
- Step 6: Cool 24 hours and check seals before storing.
Ingredients You’ll Need & Canning Must-Haves
- Cranberries- fresh or frozen, not dried. Thaw first if frozen
- Orange- used for zest as well as slices
- Strawberries-fresh or frozen
- Ground Cloves– I buy organic when possible! This brand is widely available.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Sugar– Organic & Raw
- Low-Sugar Powdered Pectin – There are multiple types of low-sugar pectin, but this is the one I used for this recipe.
- Butter- Optional, but I like to use it to reduce foaming in my finished jams and jellies.
- Half-Pint Jars– I usually buy jars from local stores like Farm and Fleet or Menards because they are cheaper!
- New jar lids – it is best to use new lids every time you can!
- Canning Tools: I have a set similar to this one. These tools make canning so much easier.
- Waterbath Canner– Mine is similar to this one! There are also bundles where you can get your canner and the tools together and save a little bit. If you don’t have a canner or don’t want to can your jam, you can freeze it!
Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting the Best Christmas Jam for Gifts
If you’re searching for the best Christmas jam for gifts, you’ve come to the right place for delicious, homemade ideas. Let’s get started! Prepare the water bath canner by putting some water in it, and start to heat the water.
Clean your jars, lids, and rings. Because we are boiling the jam for 10 minutes (assuming you’re canning them), you don’t have to sanitize your jars. If you’re going to make freezer jam, you may want to sanitize your jars and lids by boiling them.
Using a food chopper or food processor, chop cranberries and orange slices into small pieces. I wouldn’t use a blender unless it has a chop feature, unless you want pureed fruit! Slice the strawberries into small pieces (these will break down further while cooking, but you could also chop them up in the food chopper).
In a large saucepan, combine all fruit, zest, spices, pectin, water, and butter. Heat on medium heat until the fruit mixture starts to release some juices (and thaw the strawberries a bit if they were frozen). Stir constantly so there is no burning.
Turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. The rolling boil should not be able to be stirred down. Add sugar and return the mixture to a rolling boil. Boil while stirring constantly for 1 minute. Take off the heat.
Ladle the jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space (more if you are going to freeze the jam). Wipe the rims with a clean washcloth and put the lid in the center of the jar. Put the ring on and make it fingertip-tight.
Preserving The Jam – Canning or Freezing
Place the jars in your water bath canner and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Put the lid on the canner and bring the water to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the jars sit for 5 minutes with the lid off.
Remove the jars and allow them to cool for 24 hours without being disturbed. Check the seals by removing the rings and gently pulling the lids. Lids should not come off or pop up and down. If the jars are sealed, store them for later use with the ring off. If the lid comes off, store the jam in the refrigerator and use it within 3 weeks. When they’re done, you’ll have the best Christmas jam for gifts during this holiday season.
If you’re freezing, simply let the jars cool and then store them in the freezer. They will last about 1 year in the freezer. If you plan to eat one jar right away, put it in the fridge and it will be good for about 3 weeks.
Add Personal Flair to your Christmas Jam Jar
Decorating your jam jars can be a lot of fun and can show some of your creative personality. Have fun with ribbon, twine, paper, or fabric around the lids. Use stickers, washi tape, tags, or labels to add details of the contents or just decorate the jar. This could be a great way for kids to help make the mason jar gifts. I cut out a square out of some cute fabric and put it under the rings of my jars. It just adds such a cute little flair to my Christmas Jam! Here are some other things you can decorate your jars with:
Perfect Pairings with Other Homemade Treats
Gift-giving season is here, and this homemade jam makes a thoughtful and festive option for anyone on your list. Pair it with other treats and you’ll be everyone’s favorite gift giver. Here’s a list of some other foods you can pair with your Christmas Jam:
- Oatmeal Cookie Mason Jars – Cookies in a jar, who wouldn’t love these!
- 18 Mason Jar Food/Drink Ideas – Lots of gifts ideas that everyone will love.
- Homemade Vanilla Extract – A staple for any baker on your gift list.
- Canned Apple Pie Filling – An easy pie that anyone can make.
- Easy Grape Jelly – This jelly made from juice is a classic pb&j fav.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make this jam without pectin if you want. The benefits of using pectin are that the recipes are consistent and faster, but it isn’t totally necessary. If you don’t use pectin, you will need to boil your jam longer until it reaches the gel phase.
Absolutely! When you’re using frozen cranberries, let them thaw before chopping to make it easier to chop. Using frozen strawberries is fine, too. They will thaw while they are heating up in the pot.
When canned properly, jam will last about 1 year stored in a cool, dry place. Once the jar is opened, it will be good for about 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. Always check for freshness and signs of spoilage.
You can double this recipe without much trouble. Generally, you don’t want to make huge batches of jam because sometimes making too much at one time will affect how it thickens, but you should be able to double this batch no problem.
If you don’t have a water bath canner, no problem! Freezer jam is just as delicious as canned jam. Leave a little more headspace to allow for some expansion. The jam will last in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks and in the freezer for about a year.
Enjoy this Festive Jam
Whether you’re giving this as a gift or enjoying it all for yourself, this jam is perfectly festive for the fall and winter season. If you’re looking for more recipes, check out our Jams and Jellies Page for tons of ideas.
Low Sugar Christmas Jam Recipe
Equipment
- water bath canner
- canning tool
- food chopper
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups cranberries fresh or frozen, thaw first if frozen, 12 oz package
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 orange
- 4 cups strawberries fresh or frozen
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 4 cups sugar pure cane is best
- 1.75 oz low sugar pectin like Sure-jell
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 tsp butter
Instructions
- Prepare the water bath canner and clean jars, lids, and rings.
- Using a food chopper or food processor, chop cranberries and orange slices. Slice strawberries into small pieces (these will break down further while cooking but you could also chop them up in the food chopper too).
- In a large saucepan, combine all fruit, zest, spices, pectin, water, and butter. Heat on medium heat until fruit mixture starts to release some juices (and thaw the strawberries a bit if they were frozen)
- Turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. The rolling boil should not be able to be stirred down.
- Add sugar and return the mixture to a rolling boil. Boil while stirring constantly for 1 minute. Take off the heat.
- Ladle the jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe the rims and put the lid in the center of the jar. Put the ring on and make it fingertip-tight.
- Place the jars in your water bath canner and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Put the lid on the canner and bring the water to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Once the timer goes off let the jars sit for 5 minutes with the lid off.
- Remove the jars and allow to cool for 24 hours without being disturbed. Check the seals by removing the rings and gently pull the lids. Lids should not come off or pop up and down. If the jars are sealed, store them for later use. If they came off, store the jam in the refrigerator and use within 3 weeks.
6 Comments
Jeanne
The directions say add butter but I don’t see an amount in the ingredients. How much butter?
Samantha
Hi Jeanne, thanks for catching that! Butter is an optional ingredient but it does help to reduce foaming in your jam. Use 1/4 tsp!
Jane J
Thank you for this recipe. I didn’t have frozen or fresh strawberries, so used 2 cups of mashed, previously frozen strawberries. Supreme’d a large caracara and squeezed the juice from the core/membrane. I will definitely make again.
Samantha
That sounds amazing! I’m glad you liked it.
Donna Caldwell
Hi Samantha,
I am going to try to can Christmas jam this year and your recipe looks so good. I was wondering if i could use Ball low-sugar pectin and would I be able to reduce the sugar down to 2-1/2- 3 cups? I have previously used this Ball pectin (3 Tablespoons) to make other fruit jams. Thanks.
Samantha
Hi Donna, you should be able to use the Ball low-sugar pectin, I often use that one too. Reducing the sugar a little should still be okay but may result in a thinner jam. When you think it’s done you can always use a cold spoon or plate to test the gel. I think the number of tbsps equivalent to one packet of the sure jell would be 6 tbsp so just keep that in mind when substituting. Let me know how it goes!