Here is the recipe and instructions for plain cranberries and this is the recipe for cranberry sauce.

The link below offers several previous discussions on canning them and there are additional recipes discussed too.

Hope this helps.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Cranberry discussions and recipes...

Simple, just cook the crans with sugar. Then fill jars, cap and process. If you wish a sauce without skins and seeds, you would have to cook them first without the sugar and strain in a very fine sieve or jelly bag, then add sugar, boil, and can and process. Because cranberries have a lot of natural pectin, they set up quite well with most any amount of sugar, unless its very a small amount. It will not set without sugar, so don't expect to use a no sugar sweetener.

This makes me wonder if I can can my great grandmother cranberry relish. I'll have to pull out the recipe. It's cranberries, an apple, orange juice, spices and walnuts. I think that's it. It is cooked (and often gels on me actually)

It's amazing stuff.

why bother with canning .... just stock up this fall when the berries are plentiful and pull out and cook the sauce as needed throughout the year.
kay

Missemerald,

If your mom is up for trying something a little different (and that's a big if---MY mom these days likes what she likes, and has NO interest in any high-falutin' adaptations, thanks very much!), you could try this Cranberry-Apple one from an old number of an up-North magazine. It mixes apples and cranberries with raisins and some spices, and has a dash of hot sauce --- just a tiny zing --- for added interest.

I should mention for purists that this wasn't published as a canning recipe, and I haven't had it tested. It contains a small amount of onion (much less low-acid stuff than many approved recipes for fruit relishes) but is otherwise all fruit and added vinegar, and even the most experienced canners I consulted when I first started canning it couldn't see any reason not to treat it like any other canned fruit. But I believe in full disclosure so everyone can make their own decisions!

_CanaCranapple Relish
(from _Canadian Living_ magazine)

For each pint of relish:

2 apples
1 1/2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup golden raisins
4 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
dash hot pepper sauce

Peel, core, and chop apples. Chop cranberries coarsely. In heavy saucepan, stir together apples, cranberries, 3/4 cup water, sugar, onion, raisins, vinegar, cinnamon,
salt, and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until thickened and no liquid remains.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

* I never bother to chop the cranberries.
* Instead of refrigerating, I ladle into hot jars and process 20 minutes, like for applesauce.

Zabby

I think it would be a nice gift, actually.

"Purists"? Ouch!!

Dave

I made fresh cran orange relish one time. Some recipes for fresh are listed on the bags (Ocean Spray brand). The use of nuts in home canning is not recommended.

Humm, I've seen some nutting canning, :-)

Because most nuts do contain oils, they are not considered to be safe enough to can, unless its a very tiny amount.

Dave,

I calls 'em like I sees 'em. ;-) But aren't you proud to be pure? ;-]

Ken,

Lots of approved chutney recipes contain nuts. But like olive oil, it's not something I'd experiment with with abandon--unlike, say combinations of fruits & sugar.

Bullmastiff, can you post the amounts? If so, I'll look o see if there is a very similar relish or chutney in Ellie Topp's book -- she has quite a few.

Zabby

Ellie Topp's Quick Apple Cranberry Chutney recipe for canning is similar to Zabby's but actually contains a much higher proportion of onion and pepper relative to the amount of cranberries, and less apple. Zabby's has a little less vinegar, but since the pH of cranberry juice is pretty similar to vinegar, I think Zabby's recipe is roughly equivalent to Ellie Topp's.

Bullmastiff, here's a cranberry conserve recipe with nuts from the Ball Blue Book. I don't see why you couldn't leave out the raisins, and use the juice of one orange instead of the whole thing, since cranberries have enough natural pectin to set on their own. I would feel fine adding an apple since you're working so low in the pH range with those cranberries, but I can't find a comparable recipe with apples and nuts (the Nutty Plum Conserve has a higher proportion of nuts but is acidified with bottled lemon juice).

Cranberry Conserve

1 orange (unpeeled), seeded and finely chopped
2 c water
4 c cranberries
1/2 c raisins
3 c granulated sugar
1/2 c chopped nuts

Combine orange and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, partially cover, and boil until peel is tender, about 5 minutes. Add cranberries, raisins, and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Return to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Boil hard until mixture thickens, 10-15 minutes. Stir in nuts and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and test gel.

Skim foam and pack into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process 15 minutes in BWB.

The recipe note says to make sure your nuts don't smell stale, and that you can toast the nuts in a dry skillet to bring out their flavor. Makes about 4 8-oz jars.

Melissa

Hey, thanks! I actually saw that recipe and thought, "I should compare that"... I'll have to dig out the recipe but I know there is no added water and not as much sugar. it's pretty thick which would be another reason to think twice.

I'll have to dig it out and see.

Thanks for the help, y'all! I think I'll give canning the stuff a try this year (like I said, I don't have near enough room in the freezer for all the berries/sauce that are needed around here for all the birds that we eat!). Zabby, your mom sounds a lot like mine-- she likes what she likes, too, thank you very much (we have managed to stretch her horizons a bit, but still...), but I think I'll try your recipe anyway because I know that she likes everything in it (and it sounds yummy, too).

Marcy

Actually, nuts can be canned. It's a good way to preserve nuts and prevent rancidity without consuming valuable freezer space. Note the boiling water bath process does not conform to the usual procedures.

Life is full of surprises and many things in home preservation are counter-intuitive.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Canning Nuts

In recent years, my almond and macadamia trees have started producing fairly decent numbers of nuts. I dry them, shell and freeze them - fresh - in small freezer containers. Whenever I need some in a recipe, I toast them in my toaster oven, grind them in the food processor or blender, and they are so tasty.

My suggestion - toss them in your canned cranberries after opening. That should work if your determined to keep the recipe "honest" honest.

Another 2 c's.

Bejay

Wow, carol, thanks for posting that link---fascinating!

I'm guessing the canner water is kept low so that liquid doesn't seep into the jars?

Z