Now's the time to stock up on cranberries. They freeze well for things like cranberry muffins and they are easy to make into jam for shelf storage.
The jam is delicious in bar cookies, or on rolls or in muffins and as a side to all sorts of hearty winter meats.
Cranberries are high in acid and high in pectin - a perfect jam fruit for canning.
Plus, the jam is really, really pretty.
This is the recipe that I use for a soft jam:
Cranberry Jam
www.rurification.com
- 1 12 oz pkg of cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup orange juice or water [or juice concentrate]
If you want to eat it and not can it, you can cover the sauce and leave it out for a day to let the pectin develop. This is a great make ahead dish for the holidays.
If you want a stiffer and sweeter jam, then use 2 cups of sugar.
You can make multiple batches at a time. I regularly make three batches at a time.