Winter Cranberry Butter

My world has glittered with frost the past three mornings. It tosses rainbows in the air as the sun’s rays peek through the golden leaves drooping from the trees. My carrots, spinach, cabbages, radishes and onions are growing happily under their row cover. Another busy summer of canning and preserving has come to a close. With satisfaction I stare at rows of jams, pickles and tomato products tucked away in the pantry.  

Winter has a slower pace for those of us who garden and preserve the harvest. Canning does not end in my home simply because winter has arrived. Now is the perfect time for crafting one of a kind gifts to share with others.

Thanksgiving has passed and my thoughts turn to making small batch Christmas goodies. This leads to pulling out my sugar and chocolate smeared cookbook, the one I started writing 20 years ago. The one I swear I will finish before I die. The one I will pass down to my granddaughter, full of generations of homemade memories. 

Sipping my cocoa I flip to the cranberry butter recipe I created years ago. Cranberries were on sale and as a single, working mother I had little cash to spare for gifts to give friends and neighbors. Through trial and error over the next few weeks I created a delicious fruit spread that celebrates the flavors of the season.  

 What better way to celebrate the bounty of the harvest than a basket of scones and the fresh, bright taste of sweetly spiced cranberries?

From our home to yours, Happy Holidays!

Nana Walton

CRANBERRY BUTTER  (makes 8-10 cups)

3 medium sized apples, peeled, cored and chopped – reserve apple peel in a small sauce pan

5 cups sugar

3 – 12oz packages fresh cranberries (or 2 pounds)               

Zest of 2 oranges

juice of 1 orange    

1TBSP cider vinegar                   

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp nutmeg                                                             

¼ tsp ground clove

 ¼ tsp salt                                             

(8-10) 8oz canning jars, sterilized 

First combine orange zest and sugar, set aside for 30-60 minutes. Prepare apples as directed. Add 1/4 cup water to apple peelings in sauce pan, cover with lid and allow to simmer 15-20 min. Strain off the liquid from the apple peelings and place in a large pan or stock pot. Add the prepared apples, orange juice, sugar with zest, vinegar and spices. 

Place the pan on the stove over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar melts. Cook until the apples become fork tender. 

Add the cranberries and cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly, until most of the berries have popped. Remove from heat and purée with an immersion blender or a blender until completely smooth. 

Return to medium low  heat and cook, stirring constantly until it just begins to boil. 

 Fill sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.Use a table knife or a small silicone spatula to remove any air bubbles from jars Wipe the rims and threads clean with damp paper towel. Seal jars to fingertip tightness. Fill your canner with tap warm water. Bring to a boil on high heat. Process 8 or 16 ounce jars for 15 minutes.

NEVER start your water bath with boiling water! The starting temperature of the water bath should always be lower than the temperature of your product.

This is a lovely spread for toast, scones or biscuits. It also makes a delectable filling for crepes or thumbprint cookies. Try spreading it on a chicken or turkey sandwich with a bit of Brie and winter lettuce or use it to garnish a pork roast. 

This recipe has approximately half the sugar of traditional jams making it a healthier option for those trying to count calories or reduce their sugar intake.

 Please review the steps for water bath canning in a recent edition of the Ball Blue Book, “Guide to Preserving” or at the national center for home food preservation website: www.nchfp.uga.edu 

Happy canning!

Brandon  Walton, all rights reserved, December 2017