Christmas jam recipe

Spiced with cinnamon and cloves and with a unique tart cranberry flavour this Christmas jam is perfect for serving over the festive season. Fresh cranberries are in abundance in the weeks coming up to Christmas and they freeze beautifully so it’s worth buying a couple of bags when you see them. You can make this jam with berries straight from freezer just allow an extra few minutes cooking time. Cranberries are full of pectin so there should be no problem reaching setting point but try not to over boil the jam or the berries will lose their shape.

Ingredients

• 1 cinnamon stick
• Few whole cloves
• 450g cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 200ml orange juice
• 900g cranberries
• 900g granulated sugar

Method

1. Tie the cinnamon and cloves in a small piece of muslin and put in a large pan with the apples, orange zest, orange juice.Cook gently for 10 mins until the apples are soft.
2. Add the cranberries and simmer for 5-10 mins until they are soft but still retain their shape.
3. Stir in the sugar and heat gently, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved. Boil rapidly for about 10 mins. Remove and discard the muslin bag.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and test for setting point by spooning a little of the hot jam onto a chilled saucer. Leave for 2-3 mins then push your finger through the jam - if it wrinkles it is ready. If the jam is still runny, boil for a further few minutes then test again.
5. Cool for 10 mins then skim any scum from the surface with a slotted spoon. Pour the hot jam into warm clean jars and seal and label.