Winter Spiced Cranberry Conserve
A Cranberry Conserve perfect for winter with spices, apricots and nuts
Servings 5 1/2 pint jars
Ingredients
- 4 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 TBS crushed cardamom pods tied up in a cheesecloth or put in a tea strainer
- 4-5 sticks cinnamon
- 1 apple I used a Granny Smith
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
- 1/2 cup walnuts, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 TB brandy
Instructions
- Prepare canner, jars and lids. See The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving for guidance
- Place a saucer in your freezer
- In a large preserving pot or deep, stainless steel saucepan combine cranberries, orange juice, water, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and then simmer at the lowest temperature, covered, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients or about 10 minutes.
- Chop apples, nuts and apricots into small dice
- Add sugar, return to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until mixture thickens…about 10-15 minutes.
- Add diced apples, nuts and apricots to conserve and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 more minutes
- Remove from heat and gel test by placing a small amount of the jam on the plate. Put plate back in freezer for 1 minutes. If when you push it with your finger it wrinkles a bit it is done.
- If gel state has been reached, skim off any foam and stir in brandy and ground ginger.
- Spoon your jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles and wipe rim.
- Center lid on jar
- Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.
- Place jars in canner, making sure they are completely covered with water
- Cover pot and bring to a boil
- Boil for 15 minutes
- Turn heat off, remove lid and let sit for 5 minutes
- Carefully remove jars with jar lifter and place on a rack where they can be undisturbed for 24 hours.
- Refrigerate any jars if their lids don’t pop down.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe assumes some knowledge of proper and safe canning techniques. Please see the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving for guidance.
Pics and printable recipe available at: Nourish and Nestle