Making cranberry sauce in advance (jellied)

11 years ago

We will be hosting some extended family this year for Thanksgiving, and I'd like to accommodate them by serving a traditional jellied cranberry sauce (think cylindrical Ocean Spray product with can marks), in addition to the homemade whole berry version I have teethed my immediate family on.

I can't bring myself to serve the canned stuff, plus using a mold sounds like fun.

So I googled a recipe for the jellied kind from epicurious. But it says "can make up to 2 days ahead".

I want to make it this weekend, so as to reduce stress closer to THE DAY.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

amylou321
11 years ago
Recipes tend to be accurate with how far ahead you can make it. I dont know whats in the recipe, but it may be something that will not retain the shape after so long, or it might pickup weird flavors from the fridge, or the texture or flavor might change after 2 or three days. Honestly, I would go with the canned. TRUST me, im like you, i make everything from scratch, even the fried onions and cream of mushroom soup for my green bean casserole, but if your guests like the canned stuff, thats the taste they like and remember from Thanksgivings past. People are nostalgic about that stuff. They might try your homemade stuff and like that better. But if it were me, i would cave in to the can. No stress.
plllog
11 years ago
I hate to say it, but I agree about the canned stuff. I know someone who tried making it from scratch, but no one would eat it because it didn't look like the can. So then she used a ridged can for her mold the next time, and they took it but no one liked it. She went back to the can, but made one of the kids push it out onto the dish so she wouldn't have to even touch the bad memories.

If you want it made ahead and out of your hair, use the can. If you want to have fun making jelly, and not skinting on the evaporation (or adding a little gelatin) so it won't melt into a puddle, by all means make it in a week. :)
Related Discussions
Canning Chile Cranberry Sauce
Q
Comments (17)
I just realized that I didnÂt include the procedure I used or the yield when I posted the ingredients earlier. IÂll try this one more time incase anyone wants to use it. Habanero Cranberry Jelly Ingredients: 3/4 cup cider vinegar 3/4 cup white vinegar 2 cups 100% unsweetened cranberry juice 1/2 cup finely diced habanero pepper 1/2 cup finely diced red onion 1 3/4 cups fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped 1 pkg liquid pectin 5 cups sugar Procedure: Finely dice peppers and onion and coarsely chop cranberries In a large sauce pan, combine cranberries, pepper, onion, vinegars, and juice Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low Simmer 15 Â 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend and to soften up cranberries Add sugar and return to a hard boil for 1 minute Remove from heat and stir liquid pectin in well Add jelly to hot sterilized jars Wipe rim of jars with a clean damp towel Position lids as per usual instructions Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes Remove jars and allow them to cool During the cooling, periodically "gently" invert jars to distribute solids. Yield 7 or 8 - 250ml (1 cup) jars (Zeppy, did another batch today... now I have 15 jars for personal use and giifting)
...See More
Cranberry Habanero Jelly (Ottawapepper)
Q
Comments (16)
Thanks folks, staticx, IMHO the onion does offer a nice compliment to the tangy berries and fruity heat of the habs. I like your smoked pepper idea. I'll definitely give it a shot when I make my next batch. steveb3, maybe it's just me but I don't find heat loss cooking the peppers. Actually, I think the acid in the vinegars promote extraction of the capsicum from the peppers and spread it around. John, I'm sure it will work well with milder peppers, the original recipe called for using Jalapenos. If I can find Melly's original recipe I'll post it for you. Bill
...See More
Canned cranberry sauce/jelly
Q
Comments (33)
Reporting back--I decided to use a melon baller instead of cutting the jelly into cubes, then sprinkled the fruit with chia seeds and skipped the walnuts. The mint leaves were all frozen, so I used celery leaves: I used the leftovers of the cranberry jelly, mixed with pineapple juice, to glaze the ham. It was delicious! My impressions of canned cranberry jelly: It was very bland, compared to my homemade relish, but the tart and sweet fruit gave the salad enough punch. It was very refreshing with the baked ham. I wouldn't eat the jelly alone, but the texture is perfect if you want to spread it on a sandwich, which I don't. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Here is my Cranberry Relish Recipe For A Crowd, for lovemrmewey: 4 12oz packages fresh cranberries, rinsed 1 tsp minced candied ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger 3 cups sugar (I short each cup by a couple of tablespoons) 4 6oz packages of gelatin--any red or orange--I use red raspberry 2 20oz cans crushed pineapple, drained (reserve liquid) 4 11oz-15oz cans mandarin oranges, drained (reserve liquid) 2 tart apples, finely chopped zest of one orange, or 2Tbs OJ concentrate Make gelatin using the reserved liquid from the pineapple and mandarin oranges, with enough water added to complete the instructions. Chill until almost set--thick but not solid. While gelatin is chilling, cook 3 packages of the cranberries with 3 cups water and sugar. Cool. Grind the cooked cranberries with the remaining uncooked cranberries. I use a blender for this step. Cranberries can be cooked the night before and allowed to cool overnight in fridge. Mix the almost set gelatin, cranberry mixture, drained fruit, and orange zest. Chill until set. Keeps well for several days, and can be frozen. OT, here's a pic of my Christmas Eve cheese fish, requested by my grandson. Brother and SIL brought shrimp, so 10yr old GS had fun telling everyone 'Merry Fishmas'. Diabetic cherry Christmas pie for my father:
...See More
I like canned cranberry sauce but...
Q
Comments (60)
As an interesting aside Cranberry sauce is with mint jelly a left over from the days when people routinely ate fruit pastes and jellies of all sorts with their meat. I also just follow the package directions with a little less sugar, cranberries want to jell and a lot of sugar to make the reaction isn't necessary, and then I run the resultant popped mush through a sieve or one of the various doohickies that I have for removing seeds and skins, put it back in the pot with the sugar and cook to jelling stage. it sets up beautifully and I use a nice mold for a pretty shape as people did in the good old days when any table had multiple shaped jellies. The taste is definitely superior to canned but if tradition is why you have it on the table sliced carefully to match the rings on the can then that isn't as important is it?
...See More
gigi7
11 years ago
My mother always made the jellied kindÃ¢ÂÂ¦.from scratchÃ¢ÂÂ¦every single yearÃ¢ÂÂ¦and it keeps fine, just fine! SO much better than that can!!! Sorry to offer another opinion, but I LOVE LOVE the homemade! I'll be making mine this weekend for sure! Get out the food mill! No worries! But I'm not picky about an actual "shape" being heldÃ¢ÂÂ¦.just wonderful cranberry sauce! My kids love it!
2ajsmama
11 years ago
My mom's the same way. Make it easy on yourself and just buy the canned stuff for the guests, make the whole berry kind for your family (make a little extra so others can try it).
plllog
11 years ago
See, Gigi points out the difference. Some people want the stuff from the can with the ridges, and some people want wonderful cranberry sauce. :)
lpinkmountain
11 years ago
I can imagine it keeping a jelled shape if you kept it in the fridge in the jell mold. But it would be in danger of picking up an off taste from the fridge. Don't know how great that danger would be. I haven't tried that. I have made cranberry conserve and canned it though.
mtnrdredux_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
Gigi, do you have your recipe?

Maybe I can try it, and the can is always there as a back up...

did i just sign on for THREE kinds of cranberry sauce... sigh.
amylou321
11 years ago
Three kinds of cranberry sauce....you are a better person than me for sure...although i do always make two kinds of gravy and 2 kinds of mac and cheese every year. Really though, some people really DO like the taste of that stuff in the can. My mom loves my cranberry/apple/pear conserve, but would not be happy without a slice of the canned stuff on her plate. She says that she likes how it tastes and it brings back good memories. I applaud your efforts to make everyone happy during an already stressful time. Good luck.

Making cranberry sauce in advance (jellied)

Comments (8)

amylou321

plllog

Related Discussions

gigi7

2ajsmama

plllog

lpinkmountain

mtnrdredux_gw
Original Author

amylou321

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Making cranberry sauce in advance (jellied)

Comments (8)

amylou321

plllog

Related Discussions

gigi7

2ajsmama

plllog

lpinkmountain

mtnrdredux_gwOriginal Author

amylou321

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mtnrdredux_gw
Original Author