Spiced Berry Jam

This spiced berry jam works a treat on toast or with savoury dishes. Try serving it with a festive (nut)roast or offer it as the perfect gift for a cheese loving friend. It’s quick and easy to make. Enjoy!

Serves []

Ingredients

• 250 grams fresh or frozen cranberries

• 250 grams of frozen mixed berries (e.g. blackberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries, cherries) 

• a finger-sized piece of ginger, peeled, and finely chopped or grated

• 4 red chillies roughly chopped (deseeded if you don’t like it too hot), or a tea spoon of chilli flakes (if you’re feeling lazy)

• 5-6 pepper corns (optional)

• 200 grams caster sugar/ jam sugar

• 3 grams pectin (if using caster sugar)

• 100 millilitres red or white wine vinegar

• 2-3 medium (250/330 millilitre) jam jars, sterilised

Method

1. Tip the fruit, the ginger, the chillies and the peppercorns into a heavy-bottomed pan and give them a bash with the back of the spoon to bread the fruit up a little. 

2. Add the sugar, pectin and vinegar, then bring everything to the boil, skimming off any scum that comes to the surface.

3. Turn the heat down to a gentle bubble and keep cooking for about 20-30 mins, stirring occasionally.

4. Once the jam is starting to become sticky, continue cooking for a further 5 mins, stirring frequently so that the mixture doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan. It should be thick and bubbling. 

5. While the jam is cooking sterilise your jam jars.

6. Once cooked, cool slightly, then transfer to the sterilised jars and leave to cool completely. 

7. Add a hand-made label. And that’s a wrap. Job done. You may want to warn your recipients to keep an eye out for pepper corns!

   This spicy festive jam will keep for at least three months in a cool, dark place; keep in the fridge once opened.

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