Cranberry Preserves and Jam With Liquid Pectin - A Great Homemade Gift
Cranberries are Delicious
Jams, jellies, and preserves make great gifts. Whether you crate a variety basket of jewel hued jams for a birthday or Christmas gift, or a single jar as a hostess gift - home cooked preserves, jams and jellies are always appreciated. And you do not need a pressure caner to create these delicious cranberry preserves and cranberry jam recipes - you can use any large, deep pot.
Cranberries are a popular winter fruit due to their health benefits, delicious flavor, and attractive red coloration.
Here is a recipe for cranberry preserves, a welcome flavor for winter with a beautiful ruby color. C Following that is a recipe for cranberry jam that includes frozen strawberries.
Cranberry Preserves
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Materials
Before cooking the preserves (or jam), make sure that you have the necessary materials. You will need:
A large pot for cooking the jam
A real large pot for the water bath to seal the jars
A metal rack to place at the bottom of the hot water bath
Jars, rim, and lids. 8 oz. sizes work best for jams, jellies, and preserves. You can buy a case that includes everything or, you can reuse old jars and rims. Make sure that you have new lids to ensure a tight seal
A large bowl for the measured sugar (always measure into a bowel first, then put the sugar in the pot.
Another large bowl or container for the fruit (always measure the fruit first, then put it in pot)
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Long handled cooking spoon
Tongs - to lift jars out of hot water
Apron (it's messy)
Cranberry Preserves - Ingredients
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Cranberries, citrus, and sugar mixed
Ingredients
6 Cups Cranberries
5 Cups Sugar
1 Orange
1 1/2 Cup Water
Finely chopped orange peel (optional)
1 Pouch Liquid Fruit Pectin
1/4 Cup Orange Juice
1 Slim Sliver of Margarine (to prevent foaming)
Method
- Wash, rinse, then sterilize the jars, rims and lids. Pour boiling water in jars. Fill a bowl with rims and lids and cover with boiling water. Let stand until it's time to use them, then quickly dry with a clean towel
- Chop orange
- Rinse and coarsely chop cranberries. Measure and pour into a large pot
- Measure sugar and pour into the same large pot
- Add chopped orange (including peel) and water to the cranberries and sugar. Mix. Let stand for 10 minutes. (Doesn't it look pretty?)
- Turn heat on high. Bring pot of cranberry mixture to full rolling boil while stirring continuously.
- Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Remove from heat and add pectin (do not return to heat)
- Stir and skim off foam for 5 minutes. If you added the margarine, there should be very little foam, but stirring keeps the fruit from all floating up at the top
- Pour into clean jars to 1/4" of rims
- Clean jar rims and edges
- Set lids on top and attach rims, not too tightly, you want air to escape during processing
- Place jars in hot water bath (boiling water) for 10 minutes to seal
- Remove jars from hot water and let stand
- If you press on the lid and it depresses, the led had not sealed. You can return the jar to the hot water bath or turn the jars upside down. If you hear a click, they have sealed.
- Store in a cool, dark place
- This recipe makes about 8 1/2 Cups. It's good to keep that extra 1/2 cup or so in a mug or unsealed jar so you can check the consistency, texture, and, of course, taste. Why seal it if you are going to eat it right away!
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Recipe for Cranberry Holiday Jam
2 Cups Cranberries
1 Medium Orange
1 Lemon
1/2 Cup Water
3 Cups Sugar
1 10 oz. package frozen strawberries, crushed
3 ounces liquid pectin
Sliver of margarine to avoid foaming
*********************
- Chop cranberries
- Cut orange and lemon in quarters. Remove seeds and grind in food processor
- Combine ground fruit, water, sugar and crushed strawberries in a large pot. Stir to blend.
- Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly
- Bring to a full, rolling boil.
- Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly
- Remove from heat. Stir in pectin
- Return to head and boil again for 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir for 5 minutes.
- Pour into cleaned, sterilized jars and seal as above.
Cranberry Jam With No Pectin
I was surprised that this would work as it uses no pectin. But the mixture thickens and gels with time instead of added pectin. I made this one last year and it's delicious!
2 Twelve oz. Bags Fresh Cranberries
3 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Cup Water
Lightly mash cranberries.
Bring to a boil
Lower temperature and simmer, stirring often, until thick, about 2o minutes
Pour into clean sterilized jars, clean edge of jar, top with sterilized lids as above.
Place in hot water bath until sealed (about 5 minutes)
How to Tell if Canning Jars Are Sealed
Reasons Why a Canning Jar Did Not Seal
The Sound of Canning Jars Sealing
How to seal lids
- Hot-Water Bath Canning | The Old House Attic
This is a general guide for hot water bath canning of acidic foods such as fruits to make preserves, jellies, jams, etc. Non-acid foods such as vegetables and meats must be processed by the pressure canning method. Consult the specific instructions t
You don't need a pressure cooker to sterilize canning jars
- How to Sterilize Canning Jars Without a Pressure Cooker | eHow.com
How to Sterilize Canning Jars Without a Pressure Cooker. Canning is pretty easy, if you have the right equipment. Before you prepare your fruits or vegetables for canning, you will need to sterilize your canning jars. I prefer to use Mason Jars becau
Recipe for Blueberry Jam and Marmelade
- Healthy Delicious Blueberries - Blueberry Recipes, Blueberry Marmalade, Other Blueberrry Desserts
Blueberries are not only delicious but good for you too! Whether you pick blueberries or grow blueberries these delicious blueberry desserts are great when you have too many blueberries
Recipe for Slow Rise No Knead Bread - Delicious With a Spoon of Homemade Jam
- Slow Rise No Knead Bread - Delicious Artisan Style Homemade Bread Recipe
If you like to make homemade bread, or enjoy the taste of homemade bread but do not have the time for several risings and all that kneading, this bread recipe is for you. Fresh home baked bread is economical...
Recipe for English Muffins
- How to Make English Muffins
English muffins or pan muffins are yeast based. Mix the dough and allow to raise overnight.
Comments
After years of giving one of my very difficult-to-buy-for sisters a gift of assorted homemade jams each Christmas, I began to feel a little guilty and gave her something else instead. Boy, was she annoyed!
Nancy - thanks for the support! Not only are they appreciated, but making gifts, rather than shopping for them, is so much more fun!
Nemingha - Ha. That's nice. It's great to be appreciated!
Nice hub, DM, I love making jams, jellies, and granola. I don't do too much canning any more, but used to do it all the time...a lot of good instruction and tips here. Good idea to put the videos about how to check to see if a lid is sealed..really important.
The Cranberry Holiday Jam looks really good. A gift like this is so special...and tastes so much better than store bought.
It sounds lovely, and I would definitely try it!
I used to do tons of canning! This makes me want to take it up again!
There is nothing better then homemade jams...and other homemade products... And yes, they can be nice gifts as well.
alek - thanks. I used to make the stuff for gifts but I never ate it! I am rectifying that situation this year.
Sweetie, I think if I made it again, I would put the orange peel in too. Thanks for stopping by!
habee- I've never actually canned, where you need to use a pressure cooker. The time I blew one up and put a hole in the ceiling, and the fat was dribbling down the walls just made me lose interest in pressure cookers.
Tatjana - you bet, plus, they are just so much fun to make. Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you for this recipe. I have been canning and processing foods for many years. I had to laugh at your story about the pressure cooker. I never had one blow up but I lived in fear for a long time every time I used one. Great piece!
Thank you, Smireles. Yes, the pressure cooker also broke the stove grates, cast iron. Glad I wasn't in the room at the time, but I heard it blow.
I should try this, as an Asian I never been canning before, I always consume fresh foods and rarely eat canned food. But the ideas of giving some preserves homemade gifts are so great, thank you for sharing! Have a great day!
Thanks, febriedethan, the only thing is that it is full of sugar. And it is processed food and certainly not fresh. But neither are homemade cookies which I consider almost health food because they are made at home. haha.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I will make some for sure and add them to my Christmas baskets.
kindest regards Zsuzsy
These are something I'm going to have to try, not as gifts except to the ones who live in this house, sounds yummy.
Thanks for stopping by, Zsuzsy, hope you enjoy making the cranberry googies, though I would add the orange rind if I was going to do it again.
Jerilee, I could go cranberry crazy this time of year. Today, I made cranberry nut bread. Now I want cranberry cocktail. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Love cranberries so thanks for this! Nothing like homemade cranberry sauce with turkey, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Carmen - I love cranberries too. Too bad you have to douse them in sugar, but, oh well. Thank you for stopping by!
My wife is going to love me when I make this, she is a cranberry fanatic.
Dave - me too! And this is the season for cranberries! Thank you!
I was thinking on making jams this year. I decided to look on hub pages first. I found it. Thank you so much
Tina
voted up and shared
bookmarked
I would like to use the designer canning jars with the one-piece brass lids..they have a lure lock attachment. The lids are advertised with a sealing material. Should I still use a hot water bath for processing?
pearls - I have never heard of these jars that you mention so I can't really comment. You should ask the people who make the jars, call or find them online. But I imagine that you would want to use a hot water bath.
Read and reread the first recipe and couldn't find when to add the pectin. Maybe I'm missing it? Should there be an added step after * Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring continuously. and before * Remove from heat. So then:
* Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring continuously
* Stir in pectin
* Return to head and boil again for 2 minutes.
* Remove from heat and stir for 5 minutes.
* Remove from heat?
These are your directions from the 2nd recipe.
Really easy to make! And tastes delicious!
My kids are really finicky eaters so my jams have to be made more like jelly (very smooth, no lumps). So at the step where the berries have just started to pop (not quite a boil), I took them off the heat and blended everything then returned to heat and continued to boil. Added the butter. Then, brought it to a boil for at least 2 minutes and added the pectin, continued to a rolling boil for 1 minute and poured it into the hot jars. Made 6 half pints, 3 quarter pints and a small left over to taste test with toast. Yummy! Mild, sweet cranberry flavor, not at all pungent like the store bought cans. Will be perfect with dinner rolls. :)
luv2bnktchn - actually, I thought, looking back, that maybe I did have it wrong, but cranberries gel pretty well even without pectin. Going to make that recipe in next few days, and will report back. But I do seem to recall last year thinking the same thing as you, then deciding not to second guess myself and it turned out perfectly. Thanks for your delicious tip, though I do like mine lumpy!
luv2bnktchn - in case you stop back, I have made the jam that you questioned and it turned out just great. I also added chopped orange peel!
Made this today and it turned out absolutely beautiful and delicious. I made a couple of changes. I added three naval oranges, skin and all, that I had pulsed in the food processor until they were coarsely chopped, and ommitted the orange juice. I added 7 cups of sugar instead of 5 as I like a very sweet marmalade. I also added 1 teaspoon of ground cloves. I boiled it about 3 minutes instead of 1. I added 1 and 1/2 pouches of pectin. I ended up with four pints of beautiful, tasty, aromatic jam.
Julie - oh yes! The flavor of oranges goes so well with cranberries and using some orange zest really does it for me. I think I'll have to try that one. Thank you so much for your input!
Nancy's Niche 2 years ago
A homemade gift, rather it is food or other craft items, is sincerely appreciated by the recipient. Homemade gifts are the best!