I Am Within: Cranberry Sauce

Good evening, all!

What a busy summer we had! Autumn continues to be just as busy! I simply cannot believe that Thanksgiving is here already! Have you been making preparations for the big day? My little family will be staying home for the first time ever to have Thanksgiving with just the four of us here in the Meadow of Simple Blessings. It will be strange not to be surrounded by so many family members, but I am so excited! I have already started making preparations.

Tonight, I put the turkey in a brine I made. That crazy thing has been in the refrigerator since Saturday, but it is still frozen. Nevertheless, into the brine it went, giblet pack and neck and all! lol! I have never roasted a turkey before, so this is sure to be an adventure! Just look at the brine, though! Isn't it pretty?!

haha! I didn't notice until now that it looks like a face!

After getting done with that, I decided to make homemade cranberry sauce. Boy, am I glad I did! I am not a huge fan of that funny looking stuff that plops out of the can, but this turned out so well, I had to make an emergency run to the computer just for all of you! I didn't want you to miss out in case you happen to have free time tomorrow and want to try it! heehee! In fact, I was in such a hurry, I didn't get a pretty picture of the finished jelly with my good camera! I had to get the image I made with my phone off of my Facebook page! lol! I'll even give you the recipe before I give the step by step instructions! If you don't have time to make it for Thanksgiving, perhaps you can whip up a batch for Christmas!

Cranberry Sauce
2 12oz bags of cranberries
Juice of 2 oranges plus enough water to make 1-1/3 c liquid
1/8-1/4 t ground cinnamon
2 c sugar
1/2 packet liquid pectin

Wash and sort berries. Remove any under ripe or mushy berries. Put liquid in a large stock pot and bring it to a boil. Add berries. Let them cook 5-10 minutes. The berries will pop. Strain berries through a mill or sieve. Discard all the fibrous remains. Add pectin to the strained berries. Bring this mixture to a boil, and add all the sugar at once. Stir continuously, and bring the mixture back to a rolling boil. Once at a boil, boil exactly one minute. Remove the jelly from heat. Skim any foam with a metal spoon. Fill jars to 1/2 inch headspace and seal with a lid and ring. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for half pints and pints.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Before starting, place three or four jelly jars in your canner and keep the jars warm until you are ready to fill the jars. Also, go ahead and place the lids in water to simmer on low heat until you are ready to use them. Lastly, measure out your sugar and open the pectin. To keep the pectin from falling over and spilling, you can place it in a small cup to keep it upright until you are ready to use it. Now it's time to begin!

Wash and sort berries.

Let them drain while you juice two oranges. Throw the peels in a brine if you are making one! ;)

Pour this liquid into a measuring cup.

Add enough water to equal 1-1/3 cup of liquid.

Since my cup only held one cup, I had to add more water after I dumped this.

Pour all the liquid into a large stock pot, add cinnamon, and bring the mixture to a boil.

When the liquid has come to a boil, add all the berries.

Cook the berries for five to ten minutes until half to most of the berries have popped and the mixture feels mushy.

Using a mill or a sieve, strain the berries into a sauce. If you are like me and not lucky enough to have a food mill, one of these strainers will work. Just use the spoon to stir and press the berries against the metal. Keep going. Most of the mixture will go through leaving mostly solids in the strainer. Just be patient. :)

This is the beautiful sauce that you will be left with.

Clean out you stock pot. You don't want all those yucky leftover solids in your sauce from where you cooked the berries. Once it's clean, pour the sauce back in with the half packet of pectin.

Stir as you heat it to a boil. Once at a boil, pour all the sugar in at once.

Stir continuously, and bring the mixture back to a boil. Once at a rolling boil, time for exactly one minute and remove from heat. Skim any foam from the jelly using the edge of a metal spoon. I dare you to try not to taste it!

Fill your jars to 1/2 inch headspace and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for half pints and pints.