Homemade Christmas preserves make lovely but cheap DIY Christmas gifts for all our family and friends.
And despite what you might think Christmas preserves recipes need not be tricky even for beginners.
So I have for you here a collection of deliciously easy Christmas preserves recipes to make as gifts including :
- Super easy jellies & jams
- Stunning citrus preserves including salted lemons and candied peel
- Stylish mint & vanilla extracts
- Tangy Christmas pickles
- And spicy Christmas chutneys
- PLUS cranberry sauces and must try tangy alternatives.
All these Christmas preserves recipes make wonderful mason jar gifts or can be added with other homemade Christmas treats to a DIY gift hamper.
The Christmas preserves are also great additions to your own Christmas table if you’re doing Christmas on a budget and need cheap tasty Christmas food ideas.
Table of Contents
Cranberry Sauce Recipes And Alternatives
Homemade cranberry sauce really does taste better than shop bought and there are all sorts of easy ways to make cranberry sauce and give it your own fabulous seasonal twists :
- Easy Cranberry Sauce
- Cranberry & Orange Sauce
- Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
- Canned Cranberry Sauce
- Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
If you love the cranberry flavour but not the sauce texture try these cranberry Christmas preserve recipes instead :
- Jellied Cranberry Sauce
- Mulled Cranberry Jelly
- Spiced Cranberry Jam
- Cranberry Chutney
- Pickled Cranberries
Or try these tangy alternatives to cranberry sauce :
Easy Cranberry Sauce
This easy cranberry sauce recipe is ready in just 20 minutes and super simple if you’ve never made before.
Cranberry sauce is a great recipe to make ahead & freeze for Christmas to save time on the day and will keep frozen for three months.
Cranberry & Orange Sauce
For more tang in your cranberry sauce try this recipe with orange:
Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
For even more kick make this amazing bourbon cranberry sauce.
The alcohol and sugar mean the sauce will last in a jar unopened for a good month, so it makes a good Christmas preserve gift recipe. Just make clear on your label it needs eating with 3-5 days of opening.
Canned Cranberry Sauce
If you do want to gift cranberry sauce in jars as a Christmas preserve you can also can cranberry sauce …
Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
If you love cranberry sauce but need to skip the sugar overload, try this low-carb, paleo recipe …
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
If you are not keen on the texture of classic cranberry sauce you can strain it to make cranberry jelly …
Mulled Cranberry Jelly
This mulled cranberry jelly makes a wonderful homemade Christmas preserves gift recipe …
Spiced Cranberry Jam
This scrumptious spiced cranberry jam is another great homemade Christmas preserves recipe to gift.
It would be delicious on made ahead Christmas breakfast bread rolls.
Cranberry Chutney
This cranberry chutney is an excellent option if you want a less sweet Christmas preserves recipe …
Pickled Cranberries
And for something even more delectably tangy you can actually pickle cranberries …
Leftover cranberry sauce can be used in all sorts of Christmas leftover recipes.
Sloe Jelly
Sloe jelly makes a stunning alternative Christmas preserve recipe to cranberry sauce.
It has a gorgeous deep colour on your Christmas table and is super tangy to offset your turkey & spuds.
Watch this video on how to make it:
Or check out this sloe gin recipe :
Crab Apple Jelly
Crab apple jelly is a pretty pink jelly that is delicious with both Christmas dinner and Christmas breakfast.
Crab apples are basically wild apples so this easy crab apple jelly recipe makes a cheap homemade Christmas preserve to give as a gift.
Corn Cob Jelly
For a totally different Christmas preserve that will barely cost you a thing – you can make it from the leftovers from dinner! – why not try this beautiful corn cob jelly …
Quince Jam & Jelly
Quince jelly is another gorgeous Christmas preserve you can enjoy with both savoury food and fresh Christmas breakfast bread rolls.
You can easily make both quince jam and quince jelly as Christmas gifts …
Very Easy Christmas Jams & Jellies
It is super quick and easy to make last minute jam and jelly to give as homemade Christmas gifts.
And I have here super smart recipes you can whip up cheaply :
- Frozen Mixed Berry Jam
- Frozen Blueberry Jam
- Grape Juice Jelly
- Spicy Orange Jam
- Carrot Cake Jam
- Red Pepper Jelly
Frozen Mixed Berry Jam
This deliciously simple frozen mixed berry jam recipe can be made with any bag of frozen berries you have skulking in your freezer …
Frozen Blueberry Jam
A bag of frozen blueberries in your freezer can be transformed into 4 or 5 little Christmas gift jars of this simple blueberry jam …
Original image: rawpixel.com
Easy Grape Juice Jelly
This easy grape jelly made from a carton of grape juice is a brilliant alternative for a last minute and cheap but lovely Christmas gift …
Carrot Cake Jam
This delightfully original carrot cake jam recipe would make a wonderfully original gift …
Spicy Orange Jam
As Christmas oranges come into season you can quickly whip up as gifts this easy orange jam spiced with Christmas flavours …
Red Pepper Jelly
This tangy red pepper jelly would make a lovely savoury Christmas gift in little jars …
Citrus Preserves For Christmas
Citrus fruit can be transformed into amazing Christmas preserves that make stunning homemade gifts:
Preserved Lemons
For an awesome edible Christmas gift you can make well in advance you have to try preserved lemons fermented in salt Moroccan style …
Candied Peel
If you can wield a sharp knife, you can make this easy candied peel recipe to fill these adorable gift jars:
Christmas Marmalade
Marmalade – as Paddington fans know – is not quick to make but it is easy with this marmalade recipe …
You need to set aside 3 or 4 hours but won’t be doing anything most of that time, so it’s a great chance to make Christmas decorations whilst your kitchen smells divine.
Lemon Curd
Lemon curd is surprisingly simple with this easy lemon curd recipe and makes a lovely last minute Christmas gift for a hostess …
It will keep in the fridge for a week and makes a lovely addition to a Christmas table when everyone is getting a bit tired of leftovers.
Extracts
For a completely different type of homemade preserve that still makes a great gift, try extracts.
They are surprisingly simple to make and need nothing much more than a bottle of vodka or a similar spirit!
Bourbon Vanilla Extract
This bourbon vanilla extract recipe can be made in barely 10 minutes. But do start it early for Christmas as it needs 4 weeks to work it’s magic:
Mint Extract
If like me you grow mint in your garden little bottles of mint extract make lovely gifts or party favors …
Homemade Christmas Pickles Recipes
A jar of deliciously homemade pickles will always be a winner as a homemade gift at Christmas for us pickles fans. Your only problem being one jar won’t be enough – they are sooo morish!!
Quick Pickled Gherkins
Full scale pickling and canning can be tricky but with this easy pickled gherkin recipe you can whip up gifts fast even if you’re a beginner …
Spicy Fridge Pickles
This spicy fridge pickle recipe is super easy to make without any fancy canning equipment …
Christmas Pickled Onions
Pickled onions are another great homemade preserve as they can transform tired Christmas leftovers into a scrumptious supper.
They’re also a good edible Christmas gift to make in advance so you are not quite so crazy busy in the last weeks before Christmas.
This easy pickled onion recipe really is super simple if you are short on time or haven’t pickled before …
Watermelon Rind Pickle
If you are after a good edible gift to give for Christmas that is a bit different try this watermelon rind pickle recipe …
It is another homemade preserve that takes a few hours but can be done at the same time as other things like DIY Christmas gifts.
Homemade Christmas Chutney Recipes
A great Christmas chutney comes into its own from Boxing Day to New Year with its magical effect on Christmas leftovers.
Easy Christmas Chutney
This deliciously Christmas chutney recipe full of cloves, cinnamon and ginger will make your kitchen smell wonderfully Christmasy as you whip it up for homemade gifts …
Spicy Pumpkin Chutney
This incredibly easy spicy pumpkin & apple chutney is a great preserve gift to make ahead of Christmas right after Halloween when pumpkins and squash are going cheap …
Original image: rawpixel.com
Clementine Chutney
For a tangy Christmas chutney with a twist try this easy recipe for clementine chutney …
Last Minute Chutney
This Christmas chutney is a great homemade preserve recipe for last-minute gifts especially if you have left over dried fruit from panettone, Christmas cake or stollen …
Sweet & Spicy Pepper Relish
This super simple sweet & spicy pepper relish can be made as a lovely food gift well in advance of Christmas in barely 30 minutes …
And there you go, loads of simple homemade preserves you can make easily as delicious Christmas gifts.
You’ll find even more homemade preserves on this Pinterest board :
And for more yummy Christmas recipes check out these :
- Christmas Fudge
- Christmas Candy
- Christmas Cupcakes
- Christmas Cake Pops
- Christmas Desserts
- Christmas Cookies
And for more DIY Christmas gift ideas explore these posts :
- 101 DIY Gift Ideas
- Mason Jar Gift Ideas
- Simple Handmade Gifts
- Cool Cheap Christmas Gifts
- Zero Waste Christmas Gifts
- Garden Gifts
Original images: Rebecca Siegel, Glass jar with pickles by Marco Verch under Creative Commons 2.0
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