Cranberry ketchup
Jan 16th, 2009 by Amy
I ran across this recipe for cranberry ketchup in Blue Ribbon Preserves when I first made homemade ketchup last summer. I was waiting to get our hands on some local cranberries to make it and we finally found some on our recent trip to Bandon. I only made enough to fill two jelly jars to make sure it was deserving of our precious Bandon cranberries. It is unanimous (Matt didn’t get a vote, but I am confident I have his support) - we will definitely sacrifice several of our ten pounds of cranberries for this delicious condiment.
I realize that for some eating cranberries outside the holiday season seems strange, but I promise you will be glad to have a bit of this on hand throughout the year for chicken salad sandwiches, turkey burgers, turkey meatloaf, or as a dipping sauce for roasted chicken. Although it looks like cranberry sauce, the taste is much different. The vinegar and sugar create a sweet tang similar to homemade ketchup.
Truth be told, I also made this out of necessity because our recent local food finds are creating a bit of an overflow problem in the freezer and pantry. You will likely be seeing recipes in the coming weeks (maybe months) featuring our stash of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. Speaking of which, I am hoping to attend a Master Food Preservers class on making jams and preserves with frozen fruits. They must have had me and my freezer in mind when they designed the class. Checkout the Culinaria Eugenius blog for more information.
Cranberry ketchup, from Blue Ribbon Preserves
Makes about 4 half pint jars (maybe a little less)
Ingredients
4 cups sorted fresh or frozen cranberries (about 2 12-oz bags)
1-1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1-1/4 cups water
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
In a large non-reactive saucepan, combine cranberries, vinegar, and water. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all cranberries are soft and have popped (about 20 minutes). Press the mixture through a food mill or fine meshed sieve. Discard the skins and seeds. Return pulp to the pan.
Stir in brown sugar and spices. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until it thickens (for 20-30 minutes). Ladle into hot, clean jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a plastic knife. Wipe the jar rims with a damp paper towel or cloth. Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings. Process half pint jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes and pint jars for 15 minutes.
Ingredient Note: If you don’t have a frozen stash of cranberries, you may be able to find fresh ones in the produce section. If not, you can find them in the freezer aisle.
Click here for more information on local food sources.
Yum. I love that book. I have a bag of leftover cranberries in the freezer, hmm…
Thanks for your note. I actually had already updated the link.
I’m going to go to the bean meeting I just posted about (but will arrive late). Maybe I’ll see you there?
Eugenia-
Me too (the book). Its one of my favorite canning recipe books. See you at the bean meeting
Thank you! I’ve been looking for more ways to use all the cranberries I have stored and frozen. I’ve just started to explore canning/preserving as a localvore, and this book looks like a good source. I know my project for the next couple days
Mangochild-
Thanks for the note. I checked out your site - love it! You probably get cranberries from MA? What is it like getting local cranberries in the Northeast? Even though we have a lot of local cranberry growers, they are difficult to buy direct or even in the supermarket. I see WI cranberries in our market or the mixed bag from Ocean Spray (they mix cranberries from all regions together for their bags).
[...] the Cranberry Ketchup was not technically part of Amy’s Dark Days Challenge, I couldn’t resist posting about [...]
Yes, I get my cranberries from MA…. it is actually not too hard - there are some mid-size growers here that don’t mix sources like Ocean Spray does (that is one of the most frustrating things for me, when a company mixes its production so it is hard to track down the source…). The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association page has good links to midsize growers who sell on their own, or how their cooperative products are labeled. Its in most of the store around here I’ve found, or can be ordered/picked up directly.
I made your cranberry ketchup and preserved it this weekend, and LOVE it. Thank you! Like you, I needed to make more room in my freezer for more winter food storage, and these were a way to use them in a new way and explore canning. Wonderful.
Mangochild-
Glad you like the cranberry ketchup - I really like it too! Can’t wait to read about other canning projects you do
[...] I jumped in and did a cranberry “ketchup” from a recipe I saw over at Our Home Works. One batch I followed the recipe almost exactly (I just didn’t crush/sieve the berries and [...]
[...] the storage foods. Highlights: I had some of the delicious “cranberry ketchup” from Amy’s recipe at Our Home Works that was one of my first canning experiences in the winter. Also have been raiding the freezer [...]