One dish that’s ALWAYS on our Thanksgiving (and sometimes Christmas) table is my mama’s southern homemade dressing! Some people like to make stuffing, but we like “dressing”. I can seriously eat dressing as an entrée. As it has shredded pieces of turkey wings throughout the dish. (Excuse me while I drool across my keyboard).
My mama liked to dress her dressing up with both gravy and cranberry sauce. However, adding the gravy to my dressing made my stomach turn but my sister loved it! Of course, with my sister and I being night & day, I LOVED cranberry sauce on my dressing. My mom purchased the same can of Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce for me every year. Now that I’m old enough to pass along our family traditions to my very own family, I wanted to add homemade cranberry jelly to the menu. As I mentioned before, I dare to be different. I couldn’t just go to the store and buy a can of cranberry sauce because that would be too normal, right? I also love the fact that I know what’s in it and that it’s not as sweet as commercial can. At any rate, I decided to make my own homemade jelly to go along with that delicious pan of dressing.
It has all the punch of fresh cranberries, less sugar, and a hint of orange juice all in a smooth, jelled package. It can be unmolded just like canned cranberry sauce by gently running a little hot water over the outside of the jar, running a flexible, thin spatula around the inside of the jar, placing it onto a plate or into a bowl. If you use fresh cranberries (not frozen) will be firm like the commercial jelly. If you’re a fan of jellied cranberry sauce check out my recipe below!
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 bags fresh cranberries - 12oz each
- 4 cups sugar
- 4 cups juice from one orange + water
- 1 zest of orange
Instructions
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Combine the sugar, orange juice + water mixture, and zest in a big stockpot over high heat. Bring to a boil.
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Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 10 minutes while the cranberries pop open.
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Pour into a fine-mesh sieve over a heat-proof bowl until all that remains is a paste of little twiggy bits and seeds from the cranberries and orange zest.
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Pour into sterile canning jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe the rims, place new lids on the jars, and screw the rings into place until finger-tip tight.
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Store in the refrigerator.
How to Can Cranberry Sauce
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Place the jars filled with hot cranberry sauce in a canner and cover with hot water. Bring to a boil and process for 15 minutes, whether in a pint, pint and a half, or quart sized jar.
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Turn off the heat, remove the lid from the canner and let the jars remain in the water for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack or towel to cool overnight, undisturbed.
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Wipe the jars down, label them, and store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.