One of my favorite Christmas traditions at Breath of Dawn is making homemade gifts from our mountain kitchen! My Quint Berry Christmas Jam combines five different berries into a sweet-and-tart holiday spread. The secret is cranberries, which make up a third of the berry mix and give it that bright, festive tang. I love making jars to share with friends, family, and neighbors, and it’s especially delicious on warm sourdough bread or homemade biscuits!
Prep time: 30–45 minutes
Cook time: About 15 minutes
Processing time: 10 minutes, plus extra for elevation (see chart below)
Yield: About 8–9 (8-ounce) jars or 16–18 (4-ounce) jars
Ingredients
Five-Berry Blend (6 cups prepared fruit total)
- 2 cups cranberries, finely chopped
- 1 cup strawberries, hulled and crushed
- 1 cup blueberries, crushed
- 1 cup blackberries, crushed
- 1 cup raspberries, crushed
Plus
- 2 tablespoons fresh or bottled lemon juice
- 1 box (1.75 oz) SURE-JELL Original Premium Fruit Pectin (regular powdered pectin, not the low-sugar kind)
- 7 cups granulated sugar, measured into a separate bowl
- ½ teaspoon butter (optional, to reduce foaming)
Berry swap: You can use huckleberries in place of the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries. Keep five different berries, 2 cups of cranberries, and exactly 6 cups of fruit total.
Equipment
Boiling-water canner with rack, 6- or 8-quart heavy pot, jar lifter, canning funnel, ladle, 4-ounce or 8-ounce canning jars, new lids, and bands.
Directions
- Get the canner going. Fill your canner halfway with water and bring it to a simmer. Wash jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water and rinse. Keep the jars hot until you’re ready to fill them.
- Prepare the berries. Wash and drain all berries. Pulse the cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped. Hull the strawberries. Crush the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries one layer at a time with a potato masher. If you’d like fewer seeds, press half the blackberry and raspberry pulp through a fine strainer.
- Measure exactly. Measure exactly 6 cups of prepared fruit into your pot. Stir in the lemon juice. Accurate measuring is what makes the jam set, so don’t eyeball it.
- Add the pectin. Stir the pectin into the fruit, then add the butter if using. Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that won’t stop bubbling when you stir) over high heat, stirring constantly. The cranberries will soften as it heats.
- Add the sugar. Stir in all 7 cups of sugar at once. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
- Fill the jars. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ÂĽ-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean, add lids, and screw bands on fingertip-tight.
- Process. Set the jars on the rack and lower them into the canner. Water must cover the jars by 1–2 inches. Cover and bring to a full boil, then process for the time listed below for your elevation. Start timing once the water returns to a boil.
- Cool and check seals. Turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and let the jars sit 5 minutes. Lift them out and set them upright on a towel. Let them cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Press the center of each lid. If it doesn’t flex, it’s sealed. Any jar that didn’t seal goes in the fridge and should be enjoyed within 3 weeks.
- Store. Remove the bands, wipe the jars, label, and store sealed jars in a cool, dark place. They’re best within a year.
Processing Times by Elevation (4-oz or 8-oz jars)
| Elevation | Process for |
|---|---|
| 0–1,000 ft | 10 minutes |
| 1,001–3,000 ft | 15 minutes |
| 3,001–6,000 ft | 20 minutes |
| 6,001–8,000 ft | 25 minutes |
| 8,001–10,000 ft | 30 minutes |
Here on our mountaintop at 2,385 feet, I process mine for 15 minutes. Not sure of your elevation? A quick online search for “my elevation” with your town name will tell you.
Jam-Making Tips
- Don’t double the batch. Pectin jams often won’t set when doubled. If you want more jars, make two separate batches.
- Give it time to set. Jam can take up to 24 hours (sometimes a couple of days) to fully firm up, so don’t worry if it looks loose at first.
- Don’t cut the sugar. With regular pectin, the sugar is what makes it set. If you want less sugar, use a pectin made for low- or no-sugar recipes and follow its own recipe.
Christmas gifting tip: I love using 8-ounce jars for individual gifts and 4-ounce jars for holiday gift baskets. Add a little ribbon, a handwritten label, and you’ve got a thoughtful homemade Christmas gift!
Merry Christmas and happy jam-making from our mountain kitchen at Breath of Dawn! ❤️
