Easy Homemade Cranberry Jam (Fresh or Frozen Berries)
This homemade cranberry jam uses fresh or frozen cranberries and comes together in under an hour! Best of all, it doesn't require any special canning equipment or pectin.
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Equipment
- 1 1.5-quart saucepan non-reactive metal, such as stainless steel or enameled cast iron
- 1 spatula or spoon
- 1 kitchen scale or measuring cups
- 1 airtight storage container
Ingredients
- 340 g cranberries fresh cranberries or frozen, 1 whole bag
- 40 g lemon juice from half a lemon
- 2 g lemon zest about 1 tsp
- 150 g granulated sugar 3/4 cup
- 180 g water 3/4 cup
Instructions
- Prep berries. Wash 340g cranberries (1 bag, about 2.5 cups), if you haven’t already, then add them to a medium saucepan.
- Add sugar. Pour 150g sugar (3/4 cup) into the pot and give the berries a good stir to cover them in the sugar.
- Heat. Heat the berries and sugar over medium heat, and add in lemon zest from a whole lemon (about 40g or 2 tsp) and lemon juice from half the lemon (40 g).
- Stir & mash. You’ll start to hear some popping, this is normal as the berries begin to burst. You can use your spatula or spoon to help the berries along by mushing them into the sides of the pan.
- Optional blending. Once the berries have burst, you can either use an immersion blender to puree them a bit more, or you can leave the mix a bit chunky. I like the big cranberry pieces, so I leave it as is.
- Add H20. Add 180g water (3/4 cup) and stir the mix well. The mixture will thicken as it cools, so it’s okay if it looks a little thinner than you’d like. You can always reheat it and allow it to cook off some water if it’s too thin.
- Cool. Remove the pan from the heat, and allow it to cool completely.
- Store. Store your cooled finished jam in sterilized airtight containers. Your finished jam will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Notes
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- sweeten it up - if you finished cooking your jam and upon tasting realized you need to adjust the sweetness, make a quick rich syrup mixture using 1/4 cup of sugar (50g) and a few tablespoons of water. This will mix into your jam easier than adding more granulated sugar!
- too thick - if your jam is too thick, you can add more water. Heat your jam and add a bit more water, 1 ounce at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- too tart - I like a jam that tastes like the ingredients, and cranberries are tart! You can add more sugar, 50 g or 1/4 cup at a time, until you like the balance of sweetness.
- bitter - if your finished jam is bitter or astringent in taste, your cranberries may not have been fully ripened. I find this can happen sometimes with berries that are white or pink in color instead of deep red. Add more sugar to your jam, 50g or 1/4 cup at a time.
Nutrition
Calories: 31kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.04gSaturated Fat: 0.002gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.003gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 13mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 9IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.04mg
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Keyword: autumn, berry, Christmas, fall, holiday, jam, no pectin, Thanksgiving, winter