Nanny's Cranberry Sauce

By em-i-lis • November 7, 2011 • 2 Comments

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Author Notes: This is another recipe that's come through the generations of my family on my mom's side, and it's a jewel in our crown of goodies. In Louisiana, this is made with mayhaw juice which we always had to get at the annual Mayhaw Festival. I've not had much luck procuring it in recent years as I live in DC (though I once contacted a delightful farmer I found online who froze and shipped me some from his trees) but apple juice is a good replacement.
This is the best cranberry sauce I've ever had, and I really mean that. Thanksgiving night often finds us all mingling around the open fridge, eating leftover sauce with spoons straight from the jar. In addition to a "must" at our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables, this sauce elevates a turkey sandwich to greater heights, is great with roast pork, with yogurt in the morning, or again, plain for a little treat.
My grandmother and I spent an afternoon in the kitchen many years ago as she taught me to make this. It was such a special time with her, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we all have throughout the decades. - em-i-lis

Makes 6-7 half pints

2 cups mayhaw juice, or apple juice (but not apple cider)
4 cups fresh cranberries
1 small lemon, finely diced (including peel)
1 small apple, peeled and diced finely
4 cups sugar
2 generous shakes cinnamon
0.75 ounces powdered pectin (~3 T) OR 1 envelope liquid pectin

Prepare your canning pot, jars, bands, lids and so forth.
Mix juice, berries, lemon and apple in a large stock pot and let come to a boil. Add sugar and cinnamon and boil 8 minutes. Whisk in the pectin and boil until the temp hovers around 220. Ladle into sterile jelly jars and cap tightly*. Process in a canning pot. *My family has never processed this sauce in a canning pot, but I do.