When I first made cranberry jam, I was pleasantly surprised at how good it turned out. One wintry day, on a whim, I cooked up cranberries with orange juice and added some jaggery – viola, a spectacularly delicious tartly, tangy and sweet jam in a beautiful shade of Burmese ruby.
Tart cranberries and tangy oranges, in brilliant red and orange colors, dazzled me with promises of healthy glow and much needed Vitamin C. Who would think that, these two beautiful looking tarts taste that good when combined. Adding another tartly, sweet ingredient – jaggery, completed and complemented those two – making the end result, a tasty jam/preserve to enjoy.
Native Indian and Indian ingredients for a western style breakfast of bread and jam – cost is low, recipe is easy, preparation time minimal. Give it a try, if you haven’t already.
I usually make this jam, in small quantity for a week’s worth, but never in big batches like the seasoned jam makers do. So I’m not familiar with the sealing techniques for long-term storage etc., can’t offer any tips about that. My jam never lasted more than a week.
Recipe:
1 bag (12 ounces) of fresh cranberries
2 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice (4 to 6 oranges)
¾ cup of powdered jaggery (½ cup to 1 cup, how sweet your choice, I used ¾ cup)
Rinse the cranberries thoroughly. Pick out the bad ones, that are soft, shriveled or discolored. In a large pot, take orange juice and jaggery. Cook them until jaggery melts completely. When the juice starts to thicken, stir in the cranberries. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat, stirring in between. Cranberries first pop, then break down completely and turn into thick mush. Turn off the heat when it reaches jam like consistency, it further thickens on cooling. Store in a clean, dry jar.
Cranberry jam on a toasted slice of whole wheat bread ~ our breakfast this week
Indira, It really is a very beautiful shade of burmese ruby! Looks delicious! The jam is simple to make too. π An original recipe!!!
Comment by Kay — January 24, 2006 @ 3:18 pm
Thanks Kay. I like cranberry jam. I just love the color, so beautiful to look at.
Comment by Indira — January 24, 2006 @ 3:35 pm
I LOVE IT ! too good. I better hurry and go and get some good cranberries.
Indira replies…
Try first making it with half a bag, Priya, see whether you like the taste or not. It’s not like overly sweet commercial jam.
Do let me know how it turns out. Thanks!
Comment by priya,ar — January 24, 2006 @ 3:58 pm
It looks delicious, Indira!
Indira replies…
Thanks Barbara.
Comment by Barbara — January 24, 2006 @ 6:00 pm
Wow! That looks really cool!
Indira replies…
Yep, I like it. Thanks!
Comment by Gini — January 24, 2006 @ 6:21 pm
Love it :)))
now am in Columbus,OH…so when are we meeting?:)))
Indira replies…
is your email valid one? We are about 3 hours drive from Columbus. Not that far… we should meet then.:)
Comment by IBH — January 24, 2006 @ 6:25 pm
Nice!! That looks absolutely mouth watering.
Indira replies…
Thank you GM.
Guess what I’m making to day, your avacodo parathas.
Comment by garammasala — January 24, 2006 @ 8:06 pm
you are going to make me try a lot of new things lol…
Indira replies..
Trying out new things, that’s a good thing!:)
Comment by anthony — January 24, 2006 @ 11:36 pm
That looks lovely! Just waiting to be relished π
Indira replies…
lovely to look at and taste, we love it. Thanks Sury.
Comment by Sury — January 24, 2006 @ 11:38 pm
Your jam is gorgeous, Indira. I may have to make some for my in-laws; they love cranberry.
If you ever need to make jam or jelly that’ll last a while, let me know. I made a bunch last summer.
Indira replies…
If it’s possible, try it with jaggery, Stephanie! Tastes completely different.
I remember your post about jam making session in last summer. I was very impressed.
Thanks for the offer, you are already my mentor in mind.:)
Comment by Stephanie — January 25, 2006 @ 12:04 am
I havent tasted cranberry and cant figure out from the recipe how it would taste…BUT…the pictures are making my mouth water…the combo of orange and ruby colors in the first pic..and the jam in that beautiful jar in the last pic…looks yummmyyyyyyy
Indira replies…
Hi Supriya, imagine a jam of sweet and salty lemon juice, cranberry jam tastes almost like that. Cranberries are native to this area and are in season during winter time.
They are beautiful, aren’t they? Thanks!
Comment by Supriya — January 25, 2006 @ 3:17 am
Hi Indira,
Does cranberry mean “regi pandu” ?? They look like regi pallu though. Are they available in India?
I’m from kurnool and I really like your site. I come daily for updates. Giving telugu names helps me a lot as I don’t know the english names sometimes. Because of your site I don’t have to call my mom for recipes.
I do a lot of marketing for your site. π
Take care,
Sushma
Indira replies…
Hi Sushma, cranberries are not ‘regu pallu’. Cranberries are very tart (kind of vile tart), can’t eat them raw like ‘ regu pallu’. They definitely need some sort of sugar. I don’t think I ever saw these in our areas back home.
From KNL, very glad to meet you then. My parents live in Kurnool now.
I’m happy that you are enjoying the site and finding the recipes useful.
My site traffic is going through the roof, now I know the reason. π
Thanks!
Indira replies…
Hello Sushma
Comment by Sushma — January 25, 2006 @ 3:50 am
Your jam looks so apetizing!
Indira replies…
thanks Rosa!
Comment by Rosa — January 25, 2006 @ 6:31 am
Quite new to me too, never tasted cranberries before. Pictures are sooo inspiring Indira. I was looking at it for a quite a while now. You have become a professional photographer now. Kudos! Great show! Is that whole wheat bread homemade Indira?
Indira replies…
They are native to this area VKN. Very tart things, can’t eat them raw, need some sugar.
Thanks for the compliments VKN. I really appreciate them.
It’s a homemade bread.
Comment by VK Narayanan — January 25, 2006 @ 8:06 am
i tried ur cranberry upside down, i kinda liked the tangy sauce very much. And i always like anything homemade.And i liked the idea if jaggery instead of sugar. Its healthy. Tell me where can u get this kinda of jam.Iam definetely going to like it. Thank u indira
Indira replies…
I forgot about it, you already know the taste. π
Cranberry jam, very rarely you find it here in grocery shops. What I saw is cranberry sauce, a watery overly sweet cornsyrup version. Once I tried it, didn’t like, Priya.
Comment by priya,ar — January 25, 2006 @ 9:36 am
The pictures are superb and the preparation method is just perfect! Great! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Indira replies…
Thanks Madhavi!
Comment by Madhavi — January 25, 2006 @ 9:44 am
Hi Indira!
That jar of bright red jam is just waiting to be snatched!! I love cranberries, and this jam is definitely going to keep me happy! :o)
Indira replies…
Snatch it if you can. π just kidding.
Thanks Meena. I’m going to submit this post to your breakfast event. I totaly forgot about it.
Comment by Meena — January 25, 2006 @ 10:14 am
Cranberry and orange: my two favorite colors!
Sugar (OK, jaggery): my favorite food group! This is a win-win combination.
Indira, I wish you lived next door to us. The smell wafting from your kitchen must be wonderful.
Comment by terri — January 25, 2006 @ 12:25 pm
Excellent idea ! Looks absolutely delicious !
Comment by Krithika Ramachandran — January 25, 2006 @ 1:50 pm
Indira awesome recipe. Very similar to the cranberry sauce I serve during the holidays except I use dark brown sugar or muscavado (not a lot mind you because I love the tart taste!), and some lemon/line zest. I hate the insipid sugary cranberry sauce. Hehe I love cranberries so much I have 12 bags in the freezer! LOL I will have to try your recipe using jaggery! :)Thank you!
Indira replies…
Thank you Milgwimper.
I also hate storebought sauce stuff. So vile with all corn syrup and chemicals.
12 bags, that’s a lot of cranberries. I’m sure, your skin will glow like a cranberry, very healthy, after eating all those berries. π
Please give it a try with jaggery, I’m sure you are going to like the taste of it.
You know, there is also another recipe with cranberries for a spicy chutney. Tastes really great. I’ll blog about it one of these days.
Comment by Milgwimper — January 26, 2006 @ 1:12 am
Your photos are breathtaking. Absolutely beautiful. I’m spending past 10 minutes just looking at your photos. Love them.
Indira replies,
Thanks Meghana!
Comment by Meghana — January 26, 2006 @ 11:21 am
Is it ok if I ask about your photos..like exposure,shutter speed etc?I guess,you play around with them adobe.Maybe,you can do a post on how you get ur photos ready for a recipe post.
Indira replies…
I wouldn’t be comfortable talking about those things, because I’m still at the stage of I don’t know what I’m doing with the settings. A beginner! I’m thinking of maintaining a notebook about my experiments following my husband’s advice. But I still have to find time to do all this.
I use adobe mainly to bring back the focus. Photos original clarity and focus changes a lot, when I resize them to fit in my blog. Adobe helps a little bit.
Thanks for your interest.
Comment by Anonymous — January 26, 2006 @ 2:00 pm
Where did you get that pretty little jar? I have such a hard time finding jars for chutneys and such…
Indira replies..
Hello Faith, I bought it last summer at a local flea market for 25 cents. It’s blurred in the photo, but the jar is really pretty, decorated with strawberry vines etc., I love it. Thanks for noticing that.
Comment by faith — January 26, 2006 @ 5:02 pm
Hi Indira –
I am so excited that you are trying the Avocado Parathas. Do let me know how they came out. You do deserve a medal of honor… For being the first one to try one of my recipes. Thanks!
Indira replies…
Avocados I bought, were very slow to reach the ripeness, required for the recipe. So I postponed the trail to tomorrow.:)
I’m definitely going to blog about it, photos everything, the whole nine yards. π
ah… don’t be modest, you blog A1 recipes.
Comment by Garam Masala — January 27, 2006 @ 9:46 am
I am so excited to discover your beautiful blog. Your photos are fabulous. I look forward to many more visits.
Indira replies,
Thanks Alysha!
Comment by Alysha — January 29, 2006 @ 8:35 pm
Hey Indira,
Is cranberry the same as ‘karonda’ that is available in the Northern part of India?
Thanks,
Mansi
Comment by Mansi — August 3, 2006 @ 1:20 am
Hi… where would one buy cranberries in India..? Specifically in Chennai pls..?
Comment by prabhu — January 2, 2007 @ 7:20 am
Hi Indira,
I just love your site, the presentation, the writing style, the recipes.
I tried the cranberry jam recipe today. I had a pack of fresh cranberries that were so sour that we couldnt eat them. I used them for the Jam. Its cooling now… I hope it tastes as nice as it looks π
take care,
Isha
Comment by Isha — January 12, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
[…] We were inspired by this recipe from Mahanandi. […]
Pingback by Cranberry-Orange Jam » jugalbandi — June 18, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Hi Indira and Sushma,
Nice to see some good conversation between you. cranberry means “albakara pallu” We do see them here in india.
As you said indira, they are not taken raw like “regi pallu”.
regards,
Suresh
Comment by Suresh — July 18, 2007 @ 10:04 pm
[…] Though Singapore mostly gets all varieties of fruits and veggies from all over the world, I have never really seen fresh cranberries over here! Our consumption of cranberries – in breakfast cereals mostly- is always in the form of the dried variety. I love the strong tangy and slightly sweet taste of it. When I saw this Cranberry Orange Jam , I just had to try it out. This jam is inspired from B’s and Indira’s version. […]
Pingback by The Spice Cafe » Blog Archive » Precious…! — July 25, 2007 @ 6:50 am
Hi all,
I have been diagnosed with weakened kidney function. i have come to know that cranberry juice is beneficial in this condition. can u tell me what is its name in hindi and where can i get it. the website indian curry names it as ‘karonda’. but the karonda available in market is light green. its another variety is red and white in color but it is very hard and taste is extremely sour.
Please help
Comment by Ankit — September 19, 2007 @ 2:02 am
Daily Preserves: Mahanandi’s Cranberry Jam…
Not just for Thanksgiving. Mahanandi’s brilliant Cranberry Jam with orange juice and jaggery looks bright and beautiful, and we see no reason why all the cranberries on sale after Thanksgiving and Christmas should go to waste. We are inspired……
Trackback by Apartment Therapy Food — October 25, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
I had cranberry juice of Dabur company. For its enormous health benefits, I would like to find it fresh somewhere and try your recipe. where can I get fresh cranberries in Chennai? Want to avoid ready-made juices because of preservatives.
Comment by Ambujavalli — November 15, 2007 @ 9:55 pm
Hi.. I’m from Bangalore, the recipe looks very good. Could you tell me what Cranberries are called in Kannada? I believe they are available during winter.
Comment by Deepa — November 27, 2007 @ 10:58 pm
hi Indira,
Cranberries do have may health benefits also. cranberries are grown only in North America. i wanted to know where in India can i get Cranberries as a fruit? are they imported to India? Its for my research purpose.
hope to get some information regarding this from u.
thanking you,
Dr. Maheshwar Reddy.
Comment by Dr. Maheshwar Reddy — December 4, 2007 @ 2:12 am
where can i get cranberries in chennai?
plz tell me plz.
Comment by lingesh — January 16, 2008 @ 7:23 am
Can you tell me where would one get fresh canberry in Mumbai-India.
Comment by lydia — March 17, 2008 @ 1:32 am
Everything is great….but can any one tell wht do we call cranberries in HINDI????
Iys so difficult to shop for them if u dont know the name in Hindi…pls sum1 reply to me and mansi asking the name ih hindi?
Comment by Prashant — March 21, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
ok got the answer….searchng on net….its called
karaundΓΖΓ’β¬ΕΎΓβΓΒ in hindi!
Comment by Prashant — March 21, 2008 @ 12:14 pm
Kindly let me know where can I get Cranberry in Bangalore? What it is called in Kannada.
Any on can help me please.
Hello Poornima,
I’m sorry but I don’t know the Kannada name for Cranberries. Few supermarkets in Bangalore started carrying dried cranberries, I heard from my relatives.
-Indira
Comment by Poornima — April 18, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
where can i get cranberry or karaunda in nagpur or central india.
in marathi, there is a famous fruit that is called karvand… is it the same as karaunda??
Comment by Pranav — May 27, 2008 @ 12:59 am
[…] I found this recipe a while ago at Mahanandi and had to try it out. I substituted the used jaggery with preserving sugar. […]
Pingback by [Weekend Herb Blogging] - Baked Cheese with Cranberry Jam | Paulchens FoodBlog?! — June 3, 2008 @ 3:54 am
Where will I get cranberry tablets in Chennai(TamilNadu,India)
Comment by Jerrie — March 21, 2009 @ 12:50 am
hi, can any one tell me what we call cranberries in hindior kannada, whether it is available in karnataka.Please mail me farooq_bagban@yahoo.com
Comment by umar farooq — October 19, 2009 @ 12:48 am
Hi,
Can this jam be made with dried cranberries ?
Comment by Vasanti — November 7, 2009 @ 2:04 am
Hi,
Can this jam be made with dried cranberries ?
Comment by Vasanti — November 7, 2009 @ 2:04 am
dear sir/madam
where can i get cranberry fruit or jam in india
Comment by sakthivel — November 9, 2009 @ 6:50 am
can i know where can i find cranberries in bangalore!!!
Comment by pavithra — December 3, 2009 @ 10:15 am
Dear Indira,
Pls let me know whether we can get this fruit in Chennai.
Comment by Raja — January 5, 2010 @ 3:38 am
Hi,
regi pandu is called as Zizyphus jujuba in english … it is a scientific name but people call it zyzyphus
Comment by mohsina — February 7, 2010 @ 12:55 am
Kindly let us know where I can get this Cranberry Fruit. Not for making jam or food. But to be used as Medicine to treat in urinary infection.
Pls help.
Comment by Lakshmi S — April 27, 2010 @ 3:03 am
Where I can get this cranberry fruit. I require it for treating my wife,s urinary infection.
Comment by Peethambaran Kavallur — May 7, 2010 @ 6:18 am
where can i get cranberry fruit in chennai or bengaluru. please help, required for treatment, thanks a lot
Comment by siva — October 14, 2010 @ 1:20 am
Hi…I am going to make your cranberry jam for the holiday. Thank you for sharing your recipe! Love your little glass jam jar too! Where did you find your jam jar?
smiles ~ Kristy
Comment by Kristy — November 22, 2010 @ 4:34 pm
There are many queries regarding the availability of cranberries in India.Some think it is called karaunda but ripe karaunda are black/purplish in colour,not bright red as cranberries are;also the shape of karaunda is small spherical and not oblong like the cranberries shown in the picture.Can anyone out there give this absolutely necessary information regarding availability of fresh cranberries in India? Maybe Indira can help us out….her recipe and the picture of the jam is tantalising and mouth watering!Would like to try out if fresh cranberries are available in India maybe in any veg-mart or Malls like Spencer or RelianceFresh in India.Would like to know the correct Indian term for cranberries,just in case they are grown in India too.
Comment by sara — July 10, 2011 @ 12:47 am
THANKS A LOT FOR WONDERFUL INFROMATION ABOUT CRANBERRIES.
Comment by Kishore Gilla — January 23, 2012 @ 11:00 pm