Pickled Cranberries

Zeldaz's Note:

Recipe by Marisa McClellan. Great variation on cranberry sauce. Use them to make a cranberry vinaigrette for salads, serve them with a double-cream brie to cut the richness of the cheese, and save any leftover brine to mix with sparkling water. The "cooking" time is standing time. Wait a day before trying them.

• Total Time: 24 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 24 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 3 pints

• 2 (12 ounce) bags cranberries
• 3 cups apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon allspice berry
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon juniper berries

Directions:

1. Prepare a boiling water bath and three pint jars. Place lids in a small saucepan of water and bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Wash cranberries and pick over for any stems or bad berries.
3. Combine vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cinnamon sticks to the brine.
4. Place allspice berries, whole cloves, black peppercorns and juniper berries in a spice bag or a tea ball. Add them to the brine.
5. When brine is boiling vigorously, add the cranberries. Stir to combine and cook for 3-7 minutes, until the cranberries begin to pop and the brine has returned to a rolling boil.
6. When cooking time has elapsed, remove pot from heat. Pull out the spice bag and cinnamon sticks. Break cinnamon sticks in half and set aside.
7. Using a slotted spoon, ladle cranberries into prepared jars. Cover berries with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Place a cinnamon stick segment into each jar.
8. Wipe jar rims, apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.
9. When time is up, remove jars from canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and check seals. Any unsealed jars should be kept in the refrigerator.
10. Let jars sit for at least 24 hours before eating to all the flavors to settle.

Reviews

[Ambervim]

So tasty hot and out of the pot.....the recipe says to wait a day to taste.....so it must get better. Tart and sweet at the same time with just the right spices. Using the leftover brine with sparkling water is just fantastic. I was put off at first with the use of the word brine, so I will just say leftover liquid. I can't wait to find a million uses for this stuff!!!! When I made this I only had 15 total oz of cranberries left, so I punted.