Cranberry and Vanilla Jam
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Tart and sweet with a touch of warm vanilla, this cranberry and vanilla bean jam is so easy and versatile. With just 4 ingredients, it’s a breeze to make even if you’re new to jam. It’s a perfect accompaniment to both sweet and savory dishes, whether you serve it with a slice of cake, alongside a roast turkey, or on top of warm baked Brie (with sourdough bread of course)!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
So simple to make - all you need to do is put all the ingredients in a pan and watch the magic happen! This jam doesn’t require any special ingredients like pectin because cranberries are naturally high in pectin. Just let the fruit cook down and you’ve got delicious jam!
Versatile ingredients - if you can get fresh cranberries that’s great, but if not, frozen will work just as well. You don’t even need to thaw them. Same goes for vanilla. If you can get whole vanilla beans use them, but I used vanilla bean paste from a jar and the flavor is wonderful.
Makes a great gift - there’s something about the festive color of cranberries and the warming feeling of vanilla that makes this jam an extra special gift, especially during the holiday season. Put it in a jar, tie a bow with kitchen twine, and you’ve got an impressive little present to give alongside a loaf of homemade sourdough!
Ingredients
- Cranberries - either fresh or frozen will work
- Sugar - I’ve used plain white but you could also use brown sugar
- Zest and juice of an orange - you only need a small orange like a mandarin or a clementine. If you only have a large orange, start with half the zest and juice and add more as needed.
- Vanilla bean - I sometimes can’t find vanilla beans at the shops, so I used vanilla bean paste from a jar. If you can’t find that either, you can use vanilla extract, but try to find a pure extract for better flavor.
Overview
Put the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest, and vanilla bean paste into a small heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat. The juice and sugar should form a liquid right away, but if it seems very dry you can add a small splash of water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat slightly and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the cranberries have all burst and you have a nice rich jam.
As the juices evaporate and the jam thickens, you’ll want to stir more often to prevent any burning or sticking on the bottom of the pan. When it’s close to done, I run my spoon against the bottom of the pan. If you can see a strip of the pan and the jam doesn’t run immediately back to cover the space, you know your jam is thick enough. It’ll set more once cool.
Sterilise the jars you’re using with boiling water or run them through a super hot dishwasher cycle. Transfer the jam to the jars while they’re both still hot. It’s not a necessity, but I like to use a stainless steel jam funnel to keep from making a mess! Leave about 1cm headspace at the top of each jar, then seal the jars tightly and let cool on the counter before transferring to the fridge. You can also just store the jam in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Kate's Recipe Tips
- If you do manage to find a vanilla bean, here’s how you open it. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice the vanilla bean open lengthwise all the way down. Then holding the bean at the top with one hand, use the back of the knife or a small spoon to scrape out the inside.
- Don’t forget to zest the orange before you cut it open, it’ll save you a lot of mess!
- Cranberries are quite tart, so I like to taste the jam once the cranberries have started to break down, about halfway through. If it’s so sour it makes your face pucker up, add a bit more sugar! You can also add more vanilla if you like.
What To Eat With This Jam
You’ll see in these photos that I used this cranberry vanilla jam to top a wheel of baked brie, and it was a huge hit! We served the brie and cranberry with buttered slices of my Sourdough Discard bread and everyone in the family loved it.
- Obviously brie and cranberry are so good together, so you could also use this jam in these Sourdough Brie Cranberry Puff Pastry Tarts.
- This cranberry vanilla jam would make a great addition to a cheese or charcuterie board alongside homemade sourdough crackers or sourdough bread sticks.
- My kids love this jam smeared on top of quick breads like this sourdough cornbread loaf and this sourdough lemon loaf cake.
- Double down on the cranberry flavor and serve the jam alongside this festive sourdough cranberry cake!
- Put the jam out on the dinner table for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner! It goes wonderfully with turkey, ham, and so many other savory roasts and main dishes, just like this Thanksgiving jam.
How To Store and Freeze
I don’t can this jam for the pantry, I keep it in the fridge. It lasts at least 2 months unopened, and once opened I try to use it within 2 weeks or so. You can also freeze the jars, just make sure you’ve left enough room in the jars for the jam to expand when it freezes. If you just store it in an airtight container, try to use it within 2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! Just give frozen cranberries a few more minutes of cook time, if necessary.
Absolutely, cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg would make for a lovely addition to this cranberry jam.
Yes, this recipe is also delicious with fresh lemon. Start with the zest and juice of half a lemon and you can add more if needed. Keep in mind you also may want to increase the sugar as you are adding tartness.
Cranberry and Vanilla Jam
Equipment
- Heavy Based Saucepan
- Zester
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
- Stainless Steel Jam Funnel
- Stainless Steel Ladle
Ingredients
- 400 g Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 200 g Sugar
- 1 Small orange (zest and juice only)
- 8 g Vanilla bean paste (or 1 to 2 vanilla beans)
Instructions
- Put the cranberries, sugar, orange juice and zest, and vanilla bean paste into a small heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat. The juice and sugar should form a liquid right away, but if it seems very dry you can add a small splash of water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cranberries have all burst and you have a thick, rich jam. I like to taste halfway through and see if the jam needs any additional sugar or vanilla.
- As the juices evaporate, stir more frequently to make sure the jam isn’t sticking and turn down the heat if needed. You’ll know it’s done if all the cranberries have broken down and a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan takes a few seconds to fill in.
- Take your jars 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.Let the jars 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.
