Cranberry Pineapple Ginger Jam

Cranberry pineapple ginger jam brings together tart berries, crushed pineapple, fresh ginger and a little jalapeno for the holiday table. If you like a fruit spread with texture and some pepper heat, this recipe makes about 5 half pints in 35 minutes. Keep the finished jars in the refrigerator or freezer according to the directions below.

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Ingredients for cranberry pineapple ginger jam

• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple with juice
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 box (1.75 oz) fruit pectin
• 4 cups sugar

Keep the pineapple juice with the crushed fruit. The recipe uses the entire can, so draining it would change the mixture that goes into the pot. Fresh and frozen cranberries are both listed options; choose whichever you have available.

Prepare the jalapenos and ginger before you begin heating the fruit. The peppers should be seeded and minced, and the ginger should be grated. Those small pieces will stay in the jam alongside the crushed pineapple and popped cranberries, so pay attention to their texture while you prepare them.

Keep the sugar separate at the start

The sugar goes into this jam after the cranberry mixture has reached a full boil and the berries have popped. Measure it before you start, then set it aside while the fruit, peppers, ginger, vinegar and pectin heat together. Having it ready makes it easier to follow the order without interrupting the cooking.

Watch the cranberries as you stir. The first stage has a visible checkpoint: the berries pop. The directions do not give a separate minute count for that stage, so follow the fruit and the full boil rather than assigning it an extra cooking time.

Give the rolling boil your attention

Adding the sugar is followed by another full rolling boil. Wait for that boil to return before starting the 1-minute hard boil. Counting from the moment the sugar goes in would combine two different stages and shorten the final boil.

Stir constantly throughout that final minute. Stay with the pot and keep the mixture moving as it boils hard. This is a short step, but it has its own clear instruction; a gentle simmer does not match the full rolling boil called for here.

How to make the jam

• Combine the cranberries, crushed pineapple with its juice, seeded and minced jalapenos, grated fresh ginger, apple cider vinegar and fruit pectin. Heat to a full boil and cook until the cranberries pop, stirring.
• Add the sugar and return the mixture to a full rolling boil.
• Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Spoon the jam into clean jars and let it cool. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

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Jars for the holiday table and freezer

The finished jam keeps the crushed pineapple, minced jalapeno and grated ginger in the fruit mixture. Expect visible pieces rather than a strained spread. When you spoon out a portion, those pieces are part of the recipe, so there is no straining step between cooking and filling the jars.

The yield is about 5 half pints. Treat that as an approximate yield when arranging your clean jars. Spoon in the cooked jam, allow it to cool, and choose refrigerator or freezer storage based on when you plan to use it.

The refrigerator limit is up to 3 weeks, and the freezer limit is up to 6 months. Labeling the jars with the jam name and date makes those limits easier to track. The supplied method ends with cold storage and provides no directions for keeping jars at room temperature.

For more fruit and pepper combinations, try our cranberry pineapple jalapeno jelly , pineapple ginger jalapeno jam , or pineapple ginger jam .

A few questions before you start

How can I make the jam hotter?

The recipe’s tip is to leave some jalapeno seeds in for more heat. Keep the listed amount of 2 jalapenos; the adjustment given here concerns the seeds. The source does not specify a seed count or a measured heat level.

Can I reduce the sugar?

The supplied recipe calls for 4 cups sugar and gives no reduced-sugar variation. Follow that amount for this version. There is no alternate pectin amount or revised method provided for a smaller quantity of sugar.

Does the pectin go in with the sugar?

No. The pectin goes into the initial mixture with the fruit, jalapenos, ginger and vinegar. Sugar comes later, after the berries pop. Keeping those additions separate preserves the step order given in the recipe.

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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