I wanted to make something special for the December tigress can jam.  The theme for this month is dried fruit.  It took me a little while, but I finally found a festive recipe that included dried fruit. This particular recipe uses fresh fruit and dried golden raisins. I think you’ll like it.

These Spiced Cranberry Preserves go well with ice cream, frozen yogurt, cake or rice pudding.  As a festive Holiday treat, I think I’m going to serve them with my favorite pound cake for Christmas dinner.

 

Spiced Cranberry Preserves

Recipe from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard.

Makes: 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 large pear, peeled, cored and diced
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup orange liqueur

 

Directions:

Combine cranberries, apple, pear, raisins, sugar, orange rind, orange juice, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan.

 

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.

 

Remove from heat and stir in liqueur.

 

While the preserves are cooking, prepare canner, jars and lids. Refer to the instructions at the National Center for Home Preservation.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle preserves into jars within 1/2 inch of rim (headspace).  Wipe rims.  Center lids on jars.  Screw bands down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

 

Process 10 minutes for half-pint jars and 15 minutes for pint jars. Refer to the instructions at the National Center for Home Preservation.

Remove canner lid.  Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and serve.

 

Happy Canning and Baking!
Cathy

Here are some of the references I use in my canning adventures.

• Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
• The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving
• Keeping The Harvest: Discover the Homegrown Goodness of Putting Up Your Own Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
• National Center for Home Preservation