The time leading up to Christmas wouldn’t smell quite as magical without cranberry jam. For me, it’s one of the best flavours in the world – right after my grandmother’s lingonberry and pear preserve. It’s well worth stocking up on cranberries this year and filling your pantry with something truly homemade and wholesome, rather than overly sweet, preservative-filled shop-bought versions. Highly recommended :).
Makes about 2 cups.
Ingredients for cranberry jam:
- 500 g cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 apple, peeled and grated
- juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 200 g sugar
- ½ cup water
Rinse the cranberries and mix them with the lemon juice, zest and sugar.
In a heavy-based saucepan, place half of the cranberries, add the grated apple and the water, and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apple is soft and some of the liquid has evaporated. Add the remaining cranberries and continue cooking for about 30 minutes (or less), until the mixture thickens and most of the liquid has reduced.
Transfer the hot jam into sterilised jars, seal tightly, turn upside down and cover with a cloth. Alternatively, you can pasteurise the jars.
Pasteurising:
Line a large, wide-based pot with cloths. Place the jars inside, pour in hot water up to about ¾ of their height, and bring to the boil (the water temperature should match the jar temperature to prevent cracking). Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the jars and allow to cool completely. Some people also turn the jars upside down and wrap them in blankets, leaving them overnight to cool.
Enjoy!
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