So, Thanksgiving is coming and I have to make most of the stuff we have simply because of the nasty ingredients in most pre-made stuff (and that's not including the savings!) I was in a panic because I can't find my preserving cookbook which has the cranberry sauce that I made last year - which was good. So, I got onto one of my Rebel Canning groups on Facebook and cried for help. Here is a modified version of the recipe I was given.

Cranberry-Berry Sauce

Ignore the other jars for a moment - I'll share that next time... And ignore the fact that I can't really present things as beautifully as Nigella Lawson or Martha Stewart. But one dip of the finger into the bowl here and I was hooked! (And I'm not a huge cranberry person.)

Here are the steps.

In a medium-large saucepan, combine:

• 12 ounce bag of cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar (or honey)

Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Allow to cool slightly, then add:

• 2 cups mixed frozen fruit, thawed (include the juice)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 Tablespoon plain gelatin, optional

I decided to add the gelatin to get a thicker, jellier consistency - more like the commercial stuff my husband was brought up on. It's also a great way to support joint health, so although it's completely up to you, I recommend it.

Next, I got out the stick blender and carefully blended the mixture. You can keep it as chunky as you like, but I wanted a fairly smooth blend - again, for those in the family more familiar with commercial-consistency.
(If I wanted it perfectly smooth, I'd use the jug-style blender then strain it... but I didn't need that level either.)

Next, I used a jam funnel and a 1 cup measure to pour the cranberry sauce into my half-pint canning jars. I didn't worry about the sloppiness inside the jar - as long as the rim of the jar is clean, then it should seal fine. I had probably about 6 cups of sauce, though I could only find 5 half-pint jars, so the last one stays out for immediate use. Yum!

I carefully placed the sealed jars in a waterbath canner with the water already boiling (hot things go in hot water, remember.) I set my timer for ten minutes.

My finished jars were put on a tea towel to cool and "ping" - they all sealed very quickly. A very successful batch of canning!

Rebel Tips

(Note: USDA NOT approved... use at your own risk...)

• This is a recipe that is safe to use the "open kettle" method briefly mentioned on my Rebel Canning post. If you need further details, please ask and I'll do another post about it.

Recipe Cards

Here are your cards - feel free to print them out for your own use.

Two of my kitchen witches. One hung in my grandmother's kitchen as long as I can remember, so I have mine - adding a certain magickal spice to my cooking, presumably...
My grandmother's now lives in my mother's kitchen.

Previous recipes in Lori's Cookbook

(Links are for Steem... For Whaleshares and WeKu, simply place whaleshares.io or main.weku.io where the steempeak.com is.)

Breakfasts

Basic French Toast

Easy Suppers

Dirty Mac & Cheese
Simple Cheeseburgers
Spanish Rice
Italian Meatballs
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Main Courses

Fathead Stromboli
Garlic Curry Baked Drumsticks

Side Dishes

Turmeric Rice
Garlic-Herb Bread

Breads

No-Knead Bread
Fathead Dough - a grain free substitute for many bread situations!

Snacks

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sauces

Spaghetti Sauce
Basic Salsa
Garlic-Herb Butter

Desserts

Peach Cornmeal Cobbler
Tapioca Pudding

Canning

Rebel Canning - a general guide about what I do, and why I don't always follow USDA guidelines.
Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce

Note: All photos are mine - Kodax Z981 (husband's camera - I'm shopping for a new Pentax body.)
Crossposted at Steem, Whaleshares, WeKu

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Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
verified author on Goodreads
find me on Twitter
blogging on: Steem, Whaleshares, WeKu

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