Spiced Christmas Cherry Jam

This Christmas cherry jam tastes like the holidays in a spoonful: dark sweet cherries cooked with cinnamon, a little ground clove and fresh orange zest. It starts with frozen cherries, so you can make it in December without hunting for fresh fruit, and one batch fills about 3 half pint jars. It suits anyone who wants a homemade gift that looks good on a shelf and tastes better on toast.

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More Christmas jams

• Spiced Christmas Jam with Strawberries, Cranberries and Orange
• Cherry Cranberry Holiday Jam
• Spiced Christmas Jam with Orange
• Spiced Christmas Strawberry Cranberry Jam
• All our jams and jellies

What goes into the jar

• 2 lb frozen dark sweet cherries, chopped
• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 box (1.75 oz) fruit pectin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• Zest of 1 orange

The list is short, and every item has a job. The cherries bring the body and the deep red color. Lemon juice adds the acid that boxed pectin needs to set and keeps the jam from tasting flat. Cinnamon and cloves give the Christmas warmth, while the orange zest goes in late so its bright oil stays fresh.

Chop first, then measure

The recipe’s own tip is the one that matters most: chop the cherries, then measure them. Whole cherries trap air between them, so a pile of whole fruit weighs and fills differently from the same fruit chopped. Jam made with boxed pectin depends on a steady ratio of fruit, sugar and pectin. Too much fruit and the set goes soft and syrupy. Too little and it can turn stiff and rubbery.

How small you chop also decides the texture. Small pieces give a spreadable jam with flecks of cherry throughout. Larger pieces leave chunky bites, which look lovely through the glass but are harder to spread on a thin cracker. Pick one style and keep the pieces close to the same size so they cook evenly.

Why the boil has to be a hard one

A jam that never sets almost always comes back to the boil. The pectin needs real heat to activate, which is why the recipe asks for a full rolling boil twice: once before the sugar goes in, and again after. A rolling boil is one that keeps bubbling hard even while you stir. If the bubbles drop away the moment the spoon moves, it is not there yet.

Adding all that sugar cools the pot down quickly, so expect a short wait before it climbs back to a rolling boil. Start your 1 minute timer only once it gets there, and keep stirring the whole time so the sugar does not catch and scorch on the bottom. Use a pot with plenty of room, since cherry jam foams up as it boils.

For another cherry treat on the holiday table, try this cherry cream cheese dip that comes together in about 10 minutes.

If you like this one, try our Cherry Cranberry Holiday Jam too.

How to make spiced Christmas cherry jam

• Put the chopped cherries, lemon juice, pectin, cinnamon and cloves in a large pot. Heat to a full boil, stirring as it heats.
• Add the sugar and orange zest all at once and stir well. Bring it back to a full rolling boil.
• Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then take the pot off the heat.
• Ladle the hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, or skip the canning step and keep the jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

The hot jars matter as much as the hot jam. Pouring boiling jam into cold glass risks cracking, and sterilized jars give the sealed jam a clean start. That 1/4 inch of headspace leaves room for the seal to form as the jars cool, so measure it instead of filling to the rim.

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Serving it and gifting it

Give the jam time to cool fully before you judge the set. Pectin jams firm up as they cool, so a jar that still looks loose while it is warm is no reason to worry yet. Wait until the glass feels cool in your hand before you tip a jar or open one to check.

The spice level is gentle, so it works in sweet and savory places. Spread it on toast, English muffins or biscuits at breakfast. Spoon it over vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt. Put a jar next to sharp cheese and crackers on a holiday board, where the cherry and clove sit well against salty flavors.

For gifts, the half pint size is easy to wrap and easy to use up. Tie a strip of ribbon around the lid and add a small tag with the flavors: cherry, cinnamon, clove and orange. If you skipped the water bath, write that the jar needs to stay in the fridge and be eaten within 3 weeks so nobody leaves it in the pantry by mistake.

If you are filling a whole holiday gift basket, add a jar of our spiced Christmas jam with orange or a batch of cranberry pear jam next to this one. Fans of cherries with a kick can try the cherry jalapeno jelly , and any leftover jar is a good start for a Christmas jam baked brie .

Cherry jam questions

My jam is still runny. What went wrong?

The usual causes are a boil that was not truly rolling, a timer started too early, or cherries measured before chopping, which throws off the fruit to pectin balance. Let it cool completely before deciding, since the set continues to firm as the jam cools.

Do I have to use the boiling water bath?

No. The recipe gives two options. Process the jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath, or skip that step and store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Can I cut the sugar?

This recipe is built around 3 1/2 cups of sugar with a regular box of fruit pectin, and that amount is part of what makes it set. Cutting it changes the balance, so the jam may stay loose. We suggest making it as written.

How many jars does one batch fill?

About 3 half pints. Have an extra clean jar ready in case your batch runs a little over.

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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