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CRANBERRY JAM:
Every year I wait for fall to source my fresh cranberry packets from the local grocer (when I am in the USA) to make a quick Cranberry Thokku/Relish/Chutney (savory and spicy south Indian style chutney) to enjoy with my toast, south Indian dosais, idlis, in sandwiches etc. or even with my parathas and rotis! This year after making a few bottles of that lip smacking and mouthwatering spicy thokku, decided to make some cranberry jam too! I love my PBJs (peanut butter and jam sandwiches) and with seasonal cranberries, that tart and sweet jam would make my sandwich more tempting and once ready, it did too! The combination of tart cranberries with the sweetness of sugar and a splash of lemon juice (yes, only 3 ingredients!) is an absolutely delightful flavor to enjoy and the jam is ready in just 15 minutes. No pectin needed. Why reach out for that store bought bottle of jam with all those preservatives and God knows what else which they fail to share! I know I am making this every year! It is perfect to make and enjoy for the holidays and celebrations especially when shared on the Thanksgiving or Christmas table. Spread on toasted or untoasted bread, it is wonderful way to enjoy the fall flavors of fresh cranberries. I had a few bagels that I had bought from a local bagel store and I could not contain my joy when I bit into a freshly made homemade cranberry jam slathered bagel half! It was so good, my husband too could not resist enjoying his slice or two of bagel with cranberry jam!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE HOMEMADE CRANBERRY JAM:
Cranberries – I prefer to use fresh, seasonal cranberries that pop onto grocery shelves every fall just before Thanksgiving but this jam would come out beautifully well even with frozen cranberries (thawed of course) Sugar – here I have used white sugar; the tart nature of cranberries call for some sweetener like sugar to balance the tartness. Lemon juice – You need just a splash. You can use orange juice too but for me I will leave it for my next batch. Water- optional but I had to splash a few teaspoons of water to help the sugar to melt. OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS which I would love to use for my further batches of cranberry jam are cinnamon powder (or just add a cinnamon stick in the simmering jam), orange juice instead of lemon juice etc.
HOW TO MAKE FRESH, HOMEMADE CRANBERRY JAM:
It is super easy and comes together super quick! In a large, deep saucepan, mix the cranberries (washed and drained) and sugar. As the jam cooks, do a taste test and depending upon the tartness of cranberries you may or may not need more sugar.
Mix well and cook on high heat initially to melt the sugar. You can add a few teaspoons of water if you feel the sugar needs some help in melting. Once it comes to a rolling boil, reduce heat and you will notice the cranberries popping and crackling in the pot. At this stage, using a flat ladle or potato masher, try and mash the cranberries to help along the jamming process and also to give a smoother texture to the jam. After about 10 minutes, stir in lemon juice. Around 12 to 15 minutes (and sometimes 20 depending upon the amount of cranberries), you will see the jam thickening and bubbling away and almost leaving the sides of the pan.
Make sure to cover the pot three fourths of the way when not attended to, to avoid any hot jam from splashing on you or your counter! Once the jam is ready (you will see that the jam has turned jelly like and tends to move in an almost single mass), remove from heat and let cool completely. The jam thickens more as it cools. Enjoy warm or room temperature freshly made cranberry jam on bread slices, bagel halves, muffins etc. and of course your PBJs or even with parathas or rotis! Spoon cooled jam into dry glass jars and store in refrigerator for longer life. Enjoy and Happy Eating!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Use as a spread on bread, bagels, scones, English muffins etc. As an Indian, I would love to enjoy this with some hot dosais and idlis too! It is a perfect jam to enjoy in your PBJs (peanut butter and jam sandwiches). The tart and sweet taste of this jam would be a great spread to enjoy on store bought or homemade crackers like Ritz or Monaco salt crackers don’t you think? A lovely sweet and salty combo with the crunch of crackers!
Hope you make this easy, delicious and 3-ingredients homemade cranberry jam in your kitchen soon (with fresh or frozen cranberries), especially with Thanksgiving just around the corner. I know I am going to make this every fall and stock up on my share of Cranberry Jam and Cranberry Thokku for the whole year! If you do make it, please try and leave a comment in the box below (do not forget to rate it with a star rating) and share your version on Instagram (tagging me @curryandvanilla16) and also on my Facebook page.
More delicious condiments/chutneys/sauces to grace your dining table:
Peanut Chutney Powder Cranberry Thokku/Relish Apple Thokku/Relish Turmeric Thokku Tomato Thokku
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