Homemade cranberry jam and milk & honey jam

The past week was really hectic! I was in a cooking and baking frenzy every other day, preparing for a baking play date at my place as well as two parties at friends' place.

The party yesterday at C & R's place was awesome! Most of us have known each other since secondary school days (more than 20 years, gasp!) and the group of 11 has now grown to include the spouses and kids and our headcount is 37 (2 more coming soon)!!

During our annual year-end gathering, we typically have gift exchanges and I was cracking my brain on what to prepare this year. For the past few years I had baked cupcakes and cookies; I wanted something different this year. When I saw fresh cranberry sold at Sheng Shiong supermarket near by my place, I recalled a blog post on cranberry jelly doughnuts by Veronica of Peng's Kitchen recently. Making the jam looked quite easy and so jam it was! One jar of jam seemed too little, so I decided on one more milk & honey jam. I bought a bottle of earl grey milk jam from Japan few years ago and it was really yummy!

Got these petite jam jars from Tong Huat Trading, an amazing shop at Chin Swee Road that sells all sorts of glass and plastic containers (another recommendation by Veronica). I love the lever ones very much and wanted to buy 2 dozens but there was only 1 dozen left :( Had to make do with the normal screw cap ones for the balance.

 This cylindrical one is about 4cm in diameter, $2.50 each.

 This squarish one is about 5cm in diameter, also $2.50 each.

The normal screw cap one is about 4cm in diameter, $0.70 each.

The labels are Coharu masking tape printed using Coharu label printer. I bought the printer online from Rakuten, and masking tapes from Loft and Tokyu Hands during my past trips to Japan.

Each family received a bottle of cranberry jam and milk & honey jam packed in a sweet Laura Ashley ziplock bag.

Yes, I very atas :p LOL!! Bought the Laura Ashley ziplock bags last year at Laura Ashley store at Jiyougaoka, Tokyo. Yes, I like to hoard such stuff :p Finally have a chance to use them. I think they are really app for packaging/gifting. Too precious to use as storage bags.

Cranberry Jam

(adapted from Peng's Kitchen and Anncoo Journal)

Ingredients (recipe yields about 700g of jam)

• 360g Fresh cranberry (exact weight of 1 pack of fresh cranberry sold at Sheng Siong supermarket)
• 300g Caster sugar
• 265g Apple juice (exact weight of 1 bottle of apple juice)
• 70g Water

Steps

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.
2. Lower heat to medium low and simmer for 30 mins, stirring frequently.
3. Jam will thicken slightly after 30 mins and further thicken after cooling down.
4. Let jam cool slightly before transferring to clean glass jar (sterilised with boiling water).
5. Cool completely before sealing and store in fridge. Best consumed within 2 weeks, up to 1 month.

Milk & Honey Jam

(adapted from Our Adventures in Japan)

Ingredients (recipe yields about 390g of jam)

• 450g Fresh milk
• 225g Dairy whipping cream
• 100g Caster sugar
• 45g Honey
• 2tsp Vanilla bean paste or 1/2 Vanilla bean pod (I use Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste)

Steps

1. Mix fresh milk, whipping cream and caster sugar in a pot. Cook on medium low heat, stirring frequently, for 30 mins.
2. Add honey and vanilla bean paste, and continue to stir frequently. It takes another 20-30 mins for the jam to thicken. Jam will further thicken slightly upon cooling.
3. Let jam cool slightly before transferring to clean glass jar (sterilised with boiling water).
4. Cool completely before sealing and store in fridge. Best consumed within 2 weeks, up to 1 month.

I am submitting this to the "Baby Sumo's Christmas Recipes Collection 2013" event which is hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out.