Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

My canning obsession continues, so here's a post for a large batch of cranberry sauce that you can preserve in jars (my favorite method) or cut in half and still have way too much for your average Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm a fan of preservation because I take a few hours on a weekend and I have homemade stuff for at least a year.  I think this is the easiest canning recipe I've made so far because cranberries don't need to be sliced or peeled.

I made this cranberry sauce during my snowy Halloween weekend canning date with Jennifer.  (I also made delicious Ginger Pear Preserves that I've learned are delicious on a cracker with brie, but that's another story.)

Okay, you start with cranberries...

Mix the cranberries with water, sugar and orange zest...

Cook them...

Ladle into jars...

Boil the jars...

And that's it!  You have cranberry sauce that will last you until fall/winter 2012 (if you don't eat it all!).  Think beyond Thanksgiving for cranberry sauce.  I like mine on my Stuffed French Toast.  I'll be cracking open my first jar (or two) this week for Thanksgiving dinner (and probably using it as a topping on waffles for breakfast over the weekend!).

(And if you follow the recipe closely, your cranberry sauce won't have little air bubbles like mine!)

I know I keep saying this, but canning is pretty easy.  It just takes patience, clean jars, and a few big pots.  Every time I open a jar of preserved fruit or vegetables I feel so proud.  I know exactly what I'm eating and so far everything I've made myself tastes better than the version from the store.  (If you don't know anything about canning, start by checking out this site.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
from Ball (I bought the book... well worth the money)
yield 4 pints or 8 half pint jars (I used half pints)

4 cups granulated sugar
4 cups water
8 cups fresh cranberries (about 2 lb)
Grated zest of 1 large orange, optional
4 (16 oz) pint or 8 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Directions:
1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) COMBINE sugar and water in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil hard for 5 minutes. Add cranberries and return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until all berries burst and liquid begins to sheet from a metal spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in orange zest, if using, during the last few minutes of cooking.
3.) LADLE hot cranberry sauce into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot cranberry sauce. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
4.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Half Recipe
Makes about 2 (16 oz) pints or 4 (8 oz) half pints
You will need:

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water
4 cups fresh cranberries (about 1 lb)
Grated zest of 1/2 large orange, optional
2 (16 oz) pint or 4 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Directions:
1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) COMBINE sugar and water in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil hard for 5 minutes. Add cranberries and return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until all berries burst and liquid begins to sheet from a metal spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in orange zest, if using, during the last few minutes of cooking.
3.) LADLE hot cranberry sauce into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot cranberry sauce. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
4.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Ginger Pear Preserves

  

I thought my adventures in food preservation were over once the cold weather hit, but I realized that fall brings more fruits for preserving.  Apples, pears, cranberries and citrus fruits are all in season during the cooler months and make excellent ingredients for jams, chutneys, spreads and preserves.

My friend Jennifer and I spent this past snowy Saturday canning three recipes, including these Ginger Pear Preserves.  The finished product is thick and golden with a slightly tart taste from the limes.  The combination of ginger and citrus is subtle and refreshing.  Plus, preserves are easy to make!  You dump the ingredients into a pot, cook them for a specified amount of time, then pour them into prepared jars and process according to the recipe.

My only complaint is that the recipe only yielded 3 half-pint jars.  My book cautioned against doubling a recipe (may not cook properly), but this is a really small yield!  The preserves were great, though, and I think you'll enjoy them.  Since the yield was smaller than expected you could even make this recipe without canning the preserves since you could probably just store in in the fridge and consume it within 30 days.

I'm planning to use the preserves on wheat toast, English muffins or as a filling for some Christmas cookies!  If you're new to canning, Ball has some great resources to get you started.  (I wasn't paid or perked by Ball, but I do love their recipes and they taught me a lot about canning!)

Ginger Pear Preserves
recipe yield says 7 half-pint jars, but I ended up with half that yield
from Ball

5-1/2 cups finely chopped cored peeled pears (about 8 medium)
Grated zest and juice of 3 limes
2-1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp freshly grated gingerroot
7 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) COMBINE pears, lime zest and juice, sugar and gingerroot in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and test gel. If preserves break from spoon in a sheet or flake, it is at the gel stage. Skim off foam. If your mixture has not reached the gel stage, return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 5 minutes. Repeat gel stage test and cooking as needed.
3.) LADLE hot preserves into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
4.) PROCESS jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Apple Pie in a Jar

Food preservation is my new love.  I vaguely remember my grandfather (mom's father) canning applesauce, peaches and other goodies, but that was many, many years ago... long before I was old enough to even use a stove.  In the past year I've been hearing some foodie buzz about canning.  Then Ball started having commercials about canning.  I still thought it was too difficult.  I mean, I've cut myself slicing onions and I've stepped on a food processor blade (both situations landed me in the emergency room).  Large pots of boiling water and the danger of getting the recipe wrong and dying of food poisoning didn't sound like a good idea. 

Then I realized that I love cooking from scratch.  I love gardening.  As cheesy as it sounds, I'm inspired to cook and bake when I drive through the farms on my way home from work in June, July and August.  I'm even inspired by the tiny container garden on my modest deck.  I decided to try canning.

My mom thought I was crazy.  Canning was a chore in her day, so she couldn't understand why someone would want to spend an entire afternoon processing peaches, tomatoes, apples, pears and peppers when there were perfectly good alternatives in our grocery store.  But I was determined... so I picked up this book at Costco.  It ended up being the best $12 I spent in 2011.

I started with peaches purchased at a farm in New Jersey.  I made peach jam, peach butter, and peach rum sauce.  It would have been nice if I had remembered to blog about these recipes while peaches were still in season in the Northern Hemisphere, but life happens.  I'll save those stories for 2012.

Then I had a canning date with my friend (and former classmate) Jennifer.  We took it to a whole new level with fresh salsa, roasted red pepper spread and the recipe I'm sharing today:  Apple Pie in a Jar.  And guess what?  You can find all of the ingredients to make this right now because apples are in season!

Jennifer stirring the pot.

The recipe comes from Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving, but it's inspired by my summer trip to Vermont.  You know, the one that I still haven't blogged about?  (I'm on a roll here.)  We purchased something called Apple Pie in a Jar at a maple syrup farm and E couldn't stop talking about it.  He ate this like jam - straight up or spread on hot toast.  Since we paid nearly $10 for an 8 ounce jar I figured I'd attempt to make it on my own.  I must say, the results were good!

You start with fresh Granny Smith apples...

Peel, core, dice and throw in a big pot with some lemon juice, lemon zest and apple juice...

While that simmers, chop up some golden raisins.  Yes, raisins!  I used a food processor because I like making tons of dishes for my husband to wash.

Then you stir in pectin.  You can pick up this stuff at a specialty cooking store.  Mine came from Kitchen & Company...

The jam really tightens up once you stir in the sugar and boil it for a bit.  Then you add the raisins, cinnamon and nutmeg...

At this point things are smelling really good.  The only thing stopping you from eating this straight off the spoon is that it would burn the roof of your mouth (possibly landing you in the emergency room....).  So instead you ladle it into prepared jars, then you process it (that means submerge the jars in boiling water) for 10 minutes. 

Remove the jars, let them cool and you've got Apple Pie in a Jar that is shelf-stable for one year!

Do you think you can do this?  I know you can!  I highly recommend you read this website to get the basics down and I also recommend you purchase this book before you start. 

You can buy the supplies at a cooking specialty store or online.  I bought everything at Kitchen & Company and I invested about $35 this year to get started, but from now on I'll only need to buy extra jars (as needed, they are reusable) and new lids (for when I do reuse the jars).  Plus, home preserved food makes a fun gift for all of your friends and family who appreciate homemade food!

Here's what I think you need:

• A large pot for cooking your recipes
• A huge pot for processing your jars (we're talking 12 quarts or more, it doesn't have to be high quality)
• Jar funnel (check your cooking specialty store)
• Jar-shaped tongs (specialty store)
• magnetic lid lifter
• Plenty of clean kitchen towels
• Jars + lids (I went with half-pint jars, you can do whatever you think is best)
• Plastic ladle
• Large bowls for prepping ingredients

Apple Pie in a Jar
adapted from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

3/4 cup golden raisins, finely chopped
6 cups peeled, cored, chopped Granny Smith apples
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 package (1.75 oz, or equivalent measure from larger container) regular powdered fruit pectin
8 cups sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not breakfast syrup, real syrup)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Prepare canner, jars and lids.  Check out the website and book mentioned earlier in this post.

In a large, deep pot (preferably stainless steel), combine apples, lemon zest and juice, and apple juice.  Boil gently for 10 minutes, or until apples begin to soften.

Remove from heat and stir in raisins and pectin.  Put back on heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. 

Add sugar all at once and stir constantly.  Bring mixture to a full, rolling boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  (It should boil so hard that you can't stir it down.)

Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and nutmeg.  Skim foam off the top.

Ladle jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe rim.  Place lid on jar.  Place screw band on jar and tighten until resistance is met (not too tight!).

Place jars back in canner (keep them upright!) and bring water to a boil.  Process for 10 minutes once water starts boiling.  Cut off the heat, wait 5 minutes, then use jar tongs to remove jars (keep them upright!).  Place jars on a kitchen towel to cool.

Allow jars to cool, then store.  If any jars have not sealed, place them in the refrigerator and consume within 30 days.  Otherwise store jars for up to a year at room temperature.