Spiced Christmas Jam with Orange and Vanilla

This Christmas jam with orange and vanilla starts with strawberries and cranberries, then picks up orange zest, a whole split vanilla bean, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. It is a canning recipe for anyone who wants a shelf of gift jars in December, and it makes about 6 half pints. Plan on about 1 hour of work, plus 24 hours for the jars to set. On warm toast it tastes like the holidays.

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What goes into this Christmas jam with orange and vanilla

• 1 1/2 lb strawberries, hulled (about 6 cups)
• 1/2 lb fresh cranberries (about 2 cups)
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 5 cups granulated sugar
• 2 pouches (3 oz each) liquid fruit pectin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

The list is short, but every item has a job. Strawberries bring the sweetness and the deep red color. Cranberries add tartness and a little bite, which keeps 5 cups of sugar from tasting flat. The orange zest and spices give it the holiday smell, and the vanilla rounds the edges so the cloves never take over.

Get everything measured before the boil

Once the sugar goes in, this jam moves fast. You will be stirring constantly, waiting for a rolling boil, then timing exactly 1 minute after the pectin. There is no room to grate an orange or hunt for the cloves in the middle of that.

So set it all up first. Zest the orange, split the vanilla bean, measure the sugar into one bowl and the three spices into a small dish. Snip the tops of both pectin pouches and stand them in a cup. Have your half pint jars hot and your canner heating, so the jam goes straight from the pot into the jars.

What a full rolling boil looks like

Most runny jam comes from a boil that was never quite full. The recipe asks for a boil that cannot be stirred down, twice: once after the sugar and spices, and again after the pectin. That means the whole surface is bubbling hard, and when you drag a spoon through it, the bubbling does not calm down at all.

A gentle simmer with a few bubbles at the edge does not count. Wait for the real thing, then start your 1 minute timer. A large heavy pot helps here, because the jam foams up as it boils and a thin pot is more likely to scorch the sugar on the bottom.

How to make it

• Put the strawberries and cranberries in a large heavy pot and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until the cranberries pop. Mash to the texture you like, leaving some pieces for a chunky jam or working it smoother for spreading.
• Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pot and add the pod, the orange zest, the sugar and the cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly.
• Lift out the vanilla pod and set it aside.
• Add both pouches of liquid pectin, return to a full rolling boil and boil hard exactly 1 minute. Remove from the heat and skim off the foam.
• Ladle into hot half pint jars with 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and add lids and bands.
• Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adding 5 minutes above 1,000 feet. Let the jars sit for 24 hours to set.

A few notes on why the steps run in this order. The fruit simmers alone first so the cranberries have time to burst; once sugar is in, they firm up and resist popping. The vanilla pod comes out before the pectin so you are not fishing for it in a pot of thickening jam. Skimming the foam at the end keeps the jars clear and glossy, which matters if they are going under a tree.

Do not worry if the jam looks loose when you ladle it. Liquid pectin jams firm up as they cool, and the recipe allows a full 24 hours for that. Leave the jars alone during that time.

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Serving it and keeping the jars

Warm toast is the obvious place to start, and it is hard to beat. The orange and vanilla come through best on something plain, so try it on buttered toast or a split biscuit before you start pairing it with anything stronger.

Sealed jars keep for 1 year, which means you can make a batch early and still have some left after the holidays. Once a jar is opened, keep it in the refrigerator and use it within 3 weeks. For gifting, a half pint jar with a ribbon and a handwritten label is all the wrapping it needs.

Do not toss the vanilla pod. Rinse it, let it dry, and bury it in a jar of sugar. After a while you have vanilla sugar for coffee, cookies or sprinkling over fruit.

If you are planning a full jam day, the spiced blackberry orange jam and the strawberry raspberry Christmas jam fit right next to this one on a gift shelf. For a different color in the basket, try the strawberry pomegranate version or the deep red spiced Christmas cherry jam .

Common questions

Why does the jam need 24 hours after canning?

Jam made with liquid pectin keeps setting as it cools. Moving or tipping the jars before then can disturb the set, so give them the full 24 hours before you check how firm they are.

I live at a higher elevation. Does anything change?

Yes. The jars process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner, and you add 5 minutes to that if you are above 1,000 feet.

Should the jam be smooth or chunky?

That is up to you. After the cranberries pop, you mash the fruit to whatever texture you like. Fewer passes leave strawberry pieces and whole-looking cranberry skins; more passes give a smoother spread.

Why add both seeds and the pod?

The seeds stay in the jam and give it those small dark flecks. The pod adds more vanilla flavor while the jam comes to a boil, then it comes out before the pectin goes in.

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Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team

The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us