Homemade Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Why not make your own cranberry sauce? They're in season, the process is simple and surely it must be better than that weird gelatinous stuff that goes "shkkhhk" when it  plops out of the can! Here's what you need...

Ingredients:

8 cups fresh cranberries

2 cups water

2 cups orange juice

4 cups granulated sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

5-7 all spice

1 teaspoon of freshly ground ginger
1 teaspoon orange zest

      Makes approximately 10-12 x 250 or 6 X 500 ml jars

Directions:

-Place your jars on a rack in a boiling water canner; cover jars with water and heat to a simmer. Set screw bands aside. Heat SNAP LID® sealing discs in hot water, not boiling (if boiling, the friction can scratch the enamel and then you won't get a nice seal). Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.

-Wash cranberries; drain. Pick out the bad ones, anything mushy, or the predominantly white cranberries.

-Combine sugar, water and orange juice in a large stainless steel saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil; add cinnamon, all spice, orange zest and ginger. Boil 5 minutes (not too high/hot, orange juice likes to foam!). Add cranberries. Return mixture to a boil; continue cooking without stirring until skins burst. You'll hear lovely bursting sounds, careful you don't get sprayed!!

-Ladle hot sauce into a hot jar to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace.

-Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner.

-When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. Boil/process filled jars; 250 ml jars= 10 minutes; 500 ml jars = 15 minutes.

-When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; no need to retighten screw bands.

-After cooling, check jars are sealed. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place.

Canned goods generally keep for one year.

I'll be bringing this to thanksgiving, and I'll let the family judge if it's any good!! 

I also did a second batch that basically followed the same process as above using the following ingredients/measurements.

-4 cups cranberries

-3/4 cup orange juice

-1 cup water

-1 cup sugar

-1/2 cup dark rum
-1 teaspoon orange zest

I don't know if the rum flavour will come through - first time making this recipe... once again, I'll let the family judge!