Cranberry Conserve Recipe

This Cranberry Conserve recipe from Ball Fresh Preserving is refreshingly simple – in ingredients and in the mechanics of it – and so delicious! I had one jar that wouldn’t fit into my stock pot I was using for a water bath canner, and we enjoyed some of the conserve on slices of sharp cheddar. The combination of sweet & tart & sharp was amazing. I can not wait to serve it on cheese boards for our holiday gatherings! It doesn’t take long to chop up the oranges (I did a double batch, which worked well!) so you can skip the loud kitchen appliances, put on your favorite Christmas tunes and put your favorite knife to work while your home fills with the glorious aromas of this cranberry conserve. Also, I chose golden raisins…as they helped to maintain a lighter, brighter hue. The nuts are optional…and if you’re planning to gift these, you might want to skip them for allergen reasons. You will want to have a little extra…to enjoy with some cheese or crackers while your water bath canner does its job!

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Cranberry Conserve Recipe

Yield: 4 Half-Pint Jars

A version of this recipe originally appeared in Ball's Blue Book 37th Edition. Which is on sale now! Get your own copy here.

Ingredients

• 1 Quart of cranberries about 1 pound
• ¾ Cup chopped orange about 1 medium
• 2 Cups of water
• ½ Cup raisins
• 3 Cups of sugar

Instructions

1. Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.

2. Wash cranberries and orange under cold running water and then drain. Cut orange in half and remove seeds. Coarsely chop orange, including peel, using a food processor or knife. Measure ¾ cup of chopped orange.
3. Combine chopped orange and water in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peel is tender. Add cranberries, raisins, and sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook rapidly almost to the gelling point (220 degrees F). Stirring to prevent sticking.

4. Ladle hot conserve into a hot jar, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight. Place jars on the rack elevated over simmering water (180 degrees F) in a boiling water bath canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

5. Lower the rack into simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint jars for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the cover. Let jars cool for 5 minutes. Remove jars from the canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.

Recipe Notes

Recipe Addition:

If you want to add a little more depth to this conserve, you could add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts during the last 5 minutes of cooking when the conserve is almost gelled. If there’s concern about nut allergies, you may want to avoid adding the walnuts. The conserve tastes just as great without them.

Looking for more recipes starring cranberries?

• Cranberry Mustard – a fruity & spicy kick, and a tasty addition to your holiday cold meat platters or cheese boards.
• Cranberry-Habanero Jelly – a bright and spunky player on your cheese board, or brunch spread.
• Cranberry Caramel Spread – ideal for drizzling over creamy desserts, or as a dip for cheeses, or cookies.
• Pear-Cranberry Almond & Ginger Conserve – another bright addition to your cheese platter, or swirled into your yogurt.