Cranberry Orange Jam (Thanksgiving Jam)
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Cranberry orange jam is the perfect Thanksgiving breakfast jam! Made with vibrant, juicy cranberries and fragrant oranges, this delicious jam will be a family favorite.
While we call it Thanksgiving jam, you can of course make and eat it at any time of the year, but it's the perfect jam to make in November with fresh cranberries and apples in season.
If you are looking for sourdough Thanksgiving recipes that pair well with this jam, you might enjoy this collection of sourdough Thanksgiving recipes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries - this cranberry orange jam can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries. It really makes no difference to the end result. You don't even need to thaw the frozen cranberries!
No Pectin - this simple jam requires no added pectin. The green apples provide all the pectin necessary to thicken the jam naturally.
Small Batch - this cranberry orange jam recipe will make 2 x 300ml jars. You can double the recipe if you are making gifts, but you won't end up with so much jam that you get sick of it. It's a lovely small batch, perfect even if you've never made jam before!
Ingredients
I love that this jam uses 4 simple ingredients! All you need are fresh or frozen cranberries, white sugar, the zest and juice of an orange and 2 green apples.
Green apples are best as they contain the most pectin, which is what allows the jam to thicken and set.
How To Make Cranberry Orange Jam for Thanksgiving
Like many simple jams and chutneys, this cranberry orange jam is a cinch to make, even if you've never made jam before!
Chop your apples into a fine dice. To save time I throw them in a food processor and chop them in there. I never peel them as I love the colors when I first add to the pot.
Add all of the ingredients to a heavy based saucepan and stir together over a high heat until it comes to the boil.
Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and allow the Thanksgiving jam to simmer for around 30 minutes or until it becomes thick and jammy. If it gets too dry too quick, add a splash of water to loosen it up.
Turn the heat off once you're happy with the consistency. I like to run my spoon on the base of the pan. If you can see a strip of the pan where the jam doesn't run back into immediately, then you know your jam is thick enough and will set once cool.
If you want a smoother jam at this stage, you can use a stick blender to smooth out the jam. It's fine if you leave it chunkier, it's really just personal preference. I prefer this jam smooth, so I process it to blend some of the chunks out.
Take 2 jars (I've used 300mls but you can use smaller) and sterilise them with boiling water or run them through the dishwasher on a super hot cycle to ensure they are ready to use.
While the jam and jars are still hot, use a stainless steel jam funnel to fill the jars, leaving around 1cm head room at the top. Seal the jars tightly.
Allow to cool on the counter before transferring to the fridge.
What To Eat With Cranberry Orange Jam?
This jam is sensational on pretty much anything, if not for the flavor, the color alone will tempt you. These are a few of the ways we love to enjoy it in my home:
- We love this Thanksgiving jam on toasted sourdough bread, spread with homemade butter. So simple, but oh so good! This sourdough baked in a loaf pan is a breakfast favorite (it fits in the toaster easily).
- Serve this delicious jam alongside these sourdough cornbread muffins or sourdough popovers.
- While this is a jam, it's not super sweet, so it can actually be used as an alternative to cranberry sauce on your Thanksgiving table.
Shelf Life + Storage
I don't can this jam, I just keep it in the fridge and it's fine this way. It lasts at least 2 months unopened and around 2 weeks once you open the jar. You can also freeze the jam in the jars (just ensure you've left plenty of head room for expansion).
Thanksgiving Jam
Equipment
- Heavy Based Saucepan (I've used a 5L saucepan)
- Stainless Steel Jar Funnel
- Stainless Steel Ladle
- 2 Jars (I've used 2 x 300ml jars)
Ingredients
- 200 g White Sugar
- 500 g Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Orange (you'll need zest and 100g of juice)
- 2 Green Apples (cored and diced - see notes)
Instructions
- Chop your apples into a fine dice. To save time I throw them in a food processor and chop them in there. I never peel them as I love the colors when I first add to the pot.
- Add all of the ingredients to a heavy based saucepan and stir together over a high heat until it comes to the boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and allow the Thanksgiving jam to simmer for around 30 minutes or until it becomes thick and jammy.
- Turn the heat off once you're happy with the consistency. I like to run my spoon on the base of the pan. If you can see a strip of the pan where the jam doesn't run back into immediately, then you know your jam is thick enough and will set once cool.
- If you want a smoother jam at this stage, you can use a stick blender to smooth out the jam. It's fine if you leave it chunkier, it's really just personal preference.
- Take 2 jars (I've used 300mls but you can use smaller) and sterilise them with boiling water or run them through the dishwasher on a super hot cycle to ensure they are ready to use.
- While the jam and jars are still hot, use a stainless steel jam funnel to fill the jars, leaving around 1cm head room at the top. Seal the jars tightly.
- Allow to cool on the counter before transferring to the fridge. I don't can this jam, I just keep it in the fridge and it's fine this way. It lasts at least 2 months unopened and around 2 weeks once you open the jar.
Notes
Nutrition
