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Cranberry Orange Jam: A Simple Staple for the Holiday Season

by Beth Lee · Published: · Modified:

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This cranberry orange jam will become a Thanksgiving staple in your home. So easy to make but full of flavor – perfect to give as a hostess gift and for all those delicious sandwiches the next day!

Another great way to use this jam is in my orange cranberry rugelach!

For ease of browsing, here are all of my Thanksgiving recipes in one place.

Jar of cranberry orange jam with a wooden spoon and a cut orange in the background on a light blue mat.

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Why you’ll love this recipe!

When the gift giving season arrives, this cranberry orange jam serves as both a perfect host/hostess gift and a delectable side dish for your holiday buffet.

Orange cranberry jam is so flexible! It can be a side dish for the Thanksgiving meal, the perfect spread for your leftover turkey sandwich or just a simple toast topper in the morning. I even use it to make a delicious holiday cookie called rugelach flavored with, you guessed it, orange and cranberry.

This jam cooks up so quickly, uses apple, instead of pectin, to thicken it, and can be refrigerated or frozen. No canning required. Shredding that apple is the most time-consuming part of this refrigerator jam recipe – it’s so easy!

See my cranberry orange jam web story for a quick visual guide to making this recipe!

Ingredients you’ll need

This recipe uses few ingredients and if you keep extra packages of cranberries in the freezer, you’ll likely always have what you need on hand. When I first developed this jam recipe, I knew I wanted to keep the sugar level as low as possible and use my “secret” Spanish citrus liqueur called 43. Any orange liqueur will do but if you’ve never tried 43, I highly recommend it.

Ingredient shot showing apple, orange zest, cranberries, sugar, orange juice and orange liqueur with labels.
  • Cranberries: When you see fresh cranberries in stock at your grocery store, buy a few packages and keep them in the freezer. They last for months and then you’ll always have some on hand.
  • Orange zest and juice: If you don’t get enough juice from the orange, just add bottled orange juice or water to reach the half cup.
  • Apple: From experience, any apple works but tarter apples have more pectin.
  • Sugar: Granulated or superfine sugar works just fine.
  • Orange Liqueur: If you’ve never tried the Spanish citrus liqueur called 43, I recommend it. But any orange liqueur such as Cointreau, will work. Or feel free to skip the liqueur.

Steps to make this recipe

1. Rinse the cranberries and place them in a medium saucepan. Add the sugar, shredded apple and orange zest.

Orange cranberry jam ingredients in pot unmixed on a blue background.

2. Then add the orange juice.

Cranberry jam ingredient in pot while pouring orange juice in.

3. Give it a mix and bring it to a boil. Keep it at a low boil and you’ll hear the cranberries start to pop.

Cranberry jam boiling on stove top in a medium sized pot.

4. About 10 minutes in, add in your orange liqueur if using it.

Hand showing pouring the liqueur into the orange cranberry jam in the pot.

5. This is also a good time to take a masher and squish some of the berries further. I leave lots of texture but like to smooth it out a bit.

Hand holding potato masher mashing the cranberries in the pot.

6. At about 15 minutes in, I turn it off, let it cool for a bit, then put it in jars and refrigerate. Remember this is not a recipe for canning. Just refrigerate or freeze the jam for later use.

Jam in glass jar with spoon and a cut orange in the background.

Expert Tips and FAQs

  1. Be sure to give the cranberries a rinse and sort through them to look for stems or a random off berry.
  2. If the berries were in the freezer, you can use them frozen.
  3. Even though this recipe isn’t for canning, your jam jars should be very clean – either right out of the dishwasher or run under boiling hot water and quickly air dried. The cleaner they are, the better.
Do you need pectin to thicken this jam?

Many fruits – apples are an example – have natural pectin in them. Since apple and cranberry mix well together, I used shredded apple to thicken this jam. You can’t really discern any apple flavor in the end but it sure does a great job thickening this up!

Can I freeze cranberry jam?

Yes you can definitely freeze this jam if you want to make it several weeks in advance or store some away for after the holidays. Just be sure to leave at least a 1/2 inch of headspace in your glass jar. Soups and jams need room to expand in the freezer. I learned that the hard way freezing some chicken stock.

How long will cranberry jam last in my refrigerator?

My experience is that it lasts at least a month. If you are at all concerned about using it up, remember it can be frozen and you can take it out when you need it. Try using small jars and just keep one small jar in the refrigerator at a time. But if you’re using it for the holidays, it will go quickly!

Jar of cranberry orange jam with a spoon and sliced orange in the background.

Other way to use this jam

This cranberry orange jam recipe is so versatile.

  • It’s outstanding as a spread on a turkey sandwich
  • Perect tangy tart addition to a holiday brunch buffet
  • A surprise bite inside a mini corn muffin. Use any cornbread recipe, fill each muffin tin halfway, add a dab of the jam and fill the rest of the way. Bake as usual. Doesn’t that sound yummy?
  • Or try it on your next cheese platter – it pairs beautifully with goat cheese and so much more.
  • Make rugelach with cranberry orange flavoring!
  • Use it instead of cranberry sauce with your Thanksgiving turkey dinner.
  • Top your potato latkes with cranberry jam, instead of just applesauce or sour cream. Really – it’s fantastic!

Other OMG! Yummy Thanksgiving recipes

Helpful supplies

Here are helpful supplies for making cranberry orange jam. Jam jars, whether Ball or Kerr or any brand you prefer are not only nice to have around for jam-making but you’ll find many other uses for them. They are much cheaper by the each if you buy them in bulk. A good potato masher is always handy to have around. And we have had an All-Clad sauce pot I think since we were married. We use that pot all the time!


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P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

Straight down view of jar of jam with sliced orange and a spoon in the background.

Cranberry Orange Jam Recipe

Cranberry Orange Jam is a perfect addition to your holiday table and a great gift-giving idea. So easy to make – using fresh cranberries, apple, sugar, and orange – this will become a fall tradition in your home!
4.21 from 34 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Condiment
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 97 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 16 ounces fresh cranberries
  • Juice and zest of 1 orange (juice should be about ½ cup – add water or orange juice if necessary to bring up to a ½ cup)
  • 1 medium apple peeled, cored, grated (any variety apple you have will do but tarter apples have more natural pectin which helps thicken the jam)
  • 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Put all ingredients, except liqueur, in a medium saucepan on medium heat – bring to a boil, then keep at a low boil for about 15 minutes.
    All cranberry jam ingredients in a pot with orange juice about to be poured in.
  • Intermittently, you’ll hear the cranberries popping. Mix often to check for thickening. If the cranberries have not all popped and it’s getting too thick, add a bit more water or orange juice.
    Jam ingredients boiling in the pot.
  • Taste for sweetness and flavor at about 10 minutes, and if desired, add in the orange liqueur. This is also a good time to use a wooden spoon or potato masher to break up some of the chunks, depending on the texture you prefer.
    Using a potato masher to smash some of the cranberries in the jam.
  • Cook for another 5 minutes, take off heat and let it cool off.
  • Makes about 3.5 cups. Once cool, put in jars and refrigerate. Should last 2 – 4 weeks or you can freeze for later use.

Video

Notes

  • Be sure to give the cranberries a rinse and sort through them to look for stems or a random off berry.
  • If the berries were in the freezer, you can use them frozen.
  • Even though this recipe isn’t for canning, your jam jars should be very clean – either right out of the dishwasher or run under boiling hot water and quickly air dried. The cleaner they are, the better.

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcalCarbohydrates: 24gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 5.7mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword cranberry, cranberry orange jam
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gretchen

    Just made a batch of this – amazed at how easy it was to put together and how lovely and festive it looks in the jars. What a lovely “hostess gift” to take along to holiday gatherings. Thanks for this lovely recipe!

    Reply

      • Beth Lee

        I don’t know if you saw this response Brenda so I am posting it again: Wow – Brenda – sorry for the delay in responding – for some reason I didn’t get the notice that I had a new comment on this post. So sorry! I am not an expert in preservation unfortunately. I would start with a recipe that is meant to be preserved from someone like Cathy Barrow (Mrs. WheelBarrow’s Kitchen), Marisa McClellan (Food in Jars), or Emily Paster (West of the Loop).

        Reply

    • Beth Lee

      Wow – Brenda – sorry for the delay in responding – for some reason I didn’t get the notice that I had a new comment on this post. So sorry! I am not an expert in preservation unfortunately. I would start with a recipe that is meant to be preserved from someone like Cathy Barrow (Mrs. WheelBarrow’s Kitchen), Marisa McClellan (Food in Jars), or Emily Paster (West of the Loop).

      Reply

    • Beth Lee

      Sorry for the delay in responding Gayla! – for some reason I didn’t get the notice that I had a new comment on this post. So sorry! I am not an expert in preservation unfortunately. I would start with a recipe that is meant to be preserved from someone like Cathy Barrow (Mrs. WheelBarrow’s Kitchen), Marisa McClellan (Food in Jars), or Emily Paster (West of the Loop). I know amount of sugar and temp of boiling is really important if you plan to preserve.

      Reply

    • Beth Lee

      Yah! That makes me so happy! Thanks for sharing and I hope you had a delicious Thanksgiving. I will be making Cranberry Orange Rugelach using the jam this week.

      Reply

    • Beth Lee

      As I was just telling Hannah – it’s wonderful on a cheese tray. I put out quince, citrus marmalade, and cranberry orange with some soft and hard cheeses and the cranberry went first.

      What are your favorite cranberry creations Annelies?

      Reply

  10. Hannah

    Jam-filled cornbread muffins sound incredibly delicious, Beth, especially with your cranberry orange jam. My taste buds are tingling! I didn’t have nearly enough cranberry yumminess at Thanksgiving so I’ll be making some jam soon. Love the festive red color, too!

    Reply

  11. Deb

    It’s still cranberry season at my house too! As with most seasonal produce I hold on until it has vanished from the stores and markets. The festive red berry is a perfect companion for the Christmas holiday. And Cranberry Orange Jam sounds marvelous!

    Reply

  13. sandy corman

    Had this jam at Thanksgiving and it was oo-la-la!! Oh if only I wasn’t too lazy to try all your great dishes.

    Reply

  15. Lizthechef

    5 stars
    Great minds think alike – just posted my cranberry chutney this morning – LOL. Enjoy the season, Beth. X0 Liz ps Nice that you can freeze this – cranberries live in my freezer most of the year. Why not jam?

    Reply

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