Cranberries are one of those foods that people either love or hate, but for most of us, we’re on board with them.
They have such an intense flavor that they tend to taste better when paired with something sweet.
Whether you like them as part of a cocktail or want to try making some at home, this cranberry jelly recipe will prove useful.
It doesn’t require any special equipment and takes very little time to prepare – you can even whip up a batch while you wait for dinner to finish cooking.
What Is A Cranberry?
A cranberry is actually the fruit from the evergreen shrub (Vaccinium macrocarpon) that grows primarily throughout North America.
The berries grow in clusters called “crowns”.
The fruits look similar to blueberries with their bright red color and round shape.
They also contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, E, B1, B6, and potassium.
In fact, each 100 grams contains around 13% of our recommended daily requirement of vitamin C.
If you’ve never tried eating cranberries before, there are plenty of ways to enjoy them.
You could eat them raw straight out of the package, add them to salads or use them in recipes where they would normally be used as a garnish.
But if you want to make it more fun, why not try these recipes?
Cranberry Jelly Recipe
- Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Bring mixture to a boil and continue boiling until the liquid reaches 220°F/105°C on a candy thermometer.
- Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal immediately.
Spiced Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- Cook sugar and water in a pot over medium-high heat until dissolved.
- Add cranberries, orange juice, spices, and salt to the pan and bring to a boil again.
- Reduce heat and simmer until thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.
- Cool the mixture thoroughly before pouring into jars and sealing tightly.
Peach Crisp Pie Recipe
- Line pie tin with bottom crust dough and fill with dried peaches, then cover with top crust.
- Bake in oven at 375°F/190°C for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size of tart pan.
- Let cool before slicing and serving.
Fresh Berry Cobbler Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl.
- In a separate container, mix milk, egg, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Toss dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir well.
- Add fresh berries and gently fold them in to combine.
- Spread batter evenly in prepared casserole dish (you don’t need much).
- Place breadcrumbs on top and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve warm with ice cream.
What Is Jelly?
Jelly refers to anything that has been cooked down into a thick syrup.
The term comes from the French word “jolie” which means pretty, and it refers to the appearance of the final product.
There are many different types of jellies out there, but we’ll focus on the kind that uses fruit juice instead of water.
Fruit juices contain natural sugars, so these jellies tend to set more easily than if you used water alone, resulting in a thicker consistency.
These recipes usually include pectin, a type of polysaccharide found in plants (such as apples) that helps give the food its firmness.
Pectin also acts as a preservative since it inhibits microbial growth.
Pectin is naturally present in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods, but commercial manufacturers add it to jams, jellies, marmalades, and preserves because it makes things easier to handle during processing.
What Is A Cranberry Jelly Recipe?
A “jelly” is defined by the Food and Drug Administration as “a soft candy-like product containing fruit juice and pectin (the ingredient which gives jellies their gel-like consistency).”
That definition applies well here, too.
However, because there isn’t much else to it beyond mixing together two ingredients, it’s not considered a true jelly.
Jelly can be found in many different forms and varieties.
You may find some recipes calling for apple jelly, grapefruit juice, orange juice, lemonade, and more.
There are also several variations to the basic cranberry jelly recipe, including adding sugar and spices, using other fruits, and using different types of pectin.
The good news is that cranberry jelly makes a great gift during the holidays.
The bad news is that it tends to spoil quickly if left out on the countertop.
How Do You Make Cranberry Jelly?
Cranberries come from a plant called the Vaccinium macrocarpon, which has been cultivated since ancient times.
The fruit was used by Native Americans, who would eat it raw or dried before making into jams and jellies.
Today, cranberries are still popular throughout North America, especially during the Thanksgiving season because their tartness complements many other flavors.
You can find fresh cranberries year-round, but you should avoid buying cans unless you know exactly what state they came from.
The best way to ensure that canned cranberries don’t contain harmful chemicals is to buy organic products.
If you choose not to buy organic, however, there are plenty of ways to cook with cranberries without using them whole.
1. Cranberry sauce
If you prefer a sweeter treat, consider adding some sugar to your homemade cranberry sauce.
You can also add different spices depending on the type of dish you plan to serve it with.
The easiest way to get started is to chop up half of a bag of frozen cranberries and mix them with two tablespoons of brown sugar.
Cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Once cooked, refrigerate the sauce so it cools down.
Once cooled, pour it onto plates and top each serving with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Serve immediately.
2. Cranberry bread
Baking cranberries into bread isn’t quite as simple as mixing them together with some sugar, but it does offer an interesting alternative to eating the berries whole.
To start, combine four cups of granulated sugar with three cups of flour.
Next, stir in one cup of chopped cranberries and two teaspoons of baking soda.
Then, slowly incorporate five egg whites into the mixture by hand.
Finally, add three teaspoons of vanilla extract and knead everything together until the dough forms a ball and comes away from the sides of the bowl.
Let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out and cutting out round loaves.
Next, place the pieces of dough on greased cookie sheets and bake them for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
When done, let the loaves cool completely before slicing and serving.
3. Cranberry butter
Butter is often considered an indulgent food item, but if you’ve ever tried cranberry butter, you might change your mind.
To begin, melt six sticks of unsalted butter in a pan until it begins to bubble around the edges.
Add one cup of sugar and continue stirring until the mixture turns dark amber.
Remove the pan from the stove and allow the butter to sit until it hardens slightly.
When the butter has hardened, remove it from the fridge and cut it into cubes.
Put the cubes back into the same pan and gently whisk them until all of the lumps disappear.
Pour the butter through a strainer lined with cheesecloth over a clean container, then store it in the refrigerator until you need it again.
4. Cranberry juice cocktails
While these aren’t technically “jelly” recipes, they work well as appetizers and drinks.
Combine one cup of cranberry juice with one teaspoon of lime zest, one tablespoon of lemon juice, and two ounces of vodka.
Allow the mixture to chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before pouring it into glasses filled halfway full with ice.
Garnish with slices of orange and a slice of pineapple.
What Is In A Cranberry Jelly Recipe?
While many recipes call for cranberries to be used whole, it’s actually possible to use them whole if you prefer, but it’s not necessary.
The berries provide enough natural pectin (a type of fiber) without needing added help from other materials.
If you decide to go that route, though, you may need to add more sugar than usual since the berries themselves contain less sugar than what’s required by this recipe.
The recipe also calls for two types of gelatin: powdered gelatin and leaf gelatin.
Both come from plants, so no worries about cross-contamination here.
Leaf gelatin comes from the leaves of the plant, which means it contains much milder flavors than powdered gelatin does.
You should still consider using both, however, since they each have their own advantages.
Powdered gelatin dissolves quickly, which makes it great for jellies and jams where quick setting is important.
However, this ingredient must be kept refrigerated until ready to use, so keep your supply handy before heading out to buy the rest of your ingredients.
Leaf gelatin provides a smoother texture because of its higher protein content.
Since it has been ground into powder form, however, it does break down over time, making it difficult to store for long periods of time.
On top of that, it tends to get lumpy during storage, and this can cause problems when you attempt to mix the mixture together.
If you choose to go with leaf gelatin, it’s best to purchase the largest amount you think you might need.
Once opened, you should store it in the refrigerator for up to six months.
When purchasing powdered gelatin, look for brands that claim to last longer than others.
Some brands simply don’t offer the same shelf life as others.
In order to prevent spoilage, you should always check expiration dates before putting anything in the fridge.
Be sure to read labels carefully and take note of how long items stay fresh after opening.
How Do You Cook Cranberry Jelly?
This is probably going to sound simple, but it isn’t.
You need to make sure that all of your ingredients are fresh before putting together your first batch of cranberry jelly.
If you already know how to make homemade jam, then you should be able to follow along with this recipe easily enough.
The key here is to use fresh cranberries instead of frozen ones.
Cranberries contain lots of water, which makes them hard to dry out after being frozen.
To get around this issue, freeze your berries and thaw them in advance so that they’ll be easier to work with later.
Once you’ve got them ready, you can move onto mixing everything into a saucepan over low heat.
When you add your berries to the pan, don’t stir too much.
The more you disturb it, the less likely you are to get good results from your final product.
Instead, gently press down and push each berry against the side of the pot until you can see the seeds pop out.
Then, set aside to cool completely.
Step 1: Strain and mix
Once your fruit has cooled, strain it through cheesecloth (a piece of muslin works well) to remove the pectin naturally found inside the berries.
Don’t worry about straining every last bit of juice out of the mixture.
You can always add extra sugar if you think there’s not enough natural pectin present.
Next, pour the strained liquid back into your original pot and slowly bring it to a boil.
As soon as you reach full rolling boil stage, turn off the stovetop burner and allow the mixture to rest for 10-15 minutes.
During this resting period, the gelatinous quality of the fruit will begin to develop.
After this initial boiling, return the pot to the stovetop and continue heating until the mixture reaches 220F/104C degrees.
At this point, take it off the heat completely.
Allow it to sit for another 5 minutes, then carefully skim off any foam that may have formed on top.
Remove the lid, give it a gentle shake, then cover again.
Let it sit overnight to ensure complete curing.
Step 2: Boil
Now that your jelly is cured, you need to remove the residual sugars left behind by the boiling process.
Start by adding an equal amount of sugar to the jar containing your finished product.
After letting the two mixtures come to room temperature, start stirring.
Continue doing this until you notice that the sugar starts to dissolve and become clear.
Stop immediately because you don’t want your mixture to become cloudy.
Now, let the jars sit for 30 minutes to further dissolve the remaining sugar crystals.
Step 3: Cooling
Once the jellies are done cooling, you can store them in airtight containers indefinitely.
However, keep in mind that cranberry jellies will eventually lose their shine over time.
So, once a week, check to make sure that the bottles aren’t leaking and adjust the lids if necessary.
What Is The Best Cranberry Jelly Recipe?
The first thing that comes to mind when you think about homemade cranberry jelly is probably not how delicious it tastes — rather, it’s going to depend on what kind of cranberries you use.
If you prefer eating fresh cranberries from the grocery store, then these jellies would likely be too tart for your palate.
But if you get your hands on frozen or dried cranberries, then you should definitely give this recipe a shot.
You might find yourself enjoying this unique treat throughout the holidays and beyond.
To start off, you’ll need to gather all of your ingredients together before jumping into the kitchen.
Here’s what you’ll need to create this cranberry jelly recipe:
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) chopped cranberries
After measuring out each ingredient separately, simply combine them all in a large pot and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let simmer until the mixture reduces by half.
The process may take anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of your pan.
When the mixture has reduced, remove it from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.
How Long Does It Take To Make Cranberry Jelly?
This cranberry jelly recipe takes about 20 minutes from start to finish (if you use fresh cranberries).
If you prefer, you can also buy dried cranberries which will cut down the amount of preparation time considerably.
- 3 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
You can find more information below to help you get started with this delicious treat.
What Is The Difference Between Cranberry Jam And Cranberry Jelly?
Jam refers to a spreadable fruit mixture, typically containing sugar and pectin (a type of plant-based gelling agent).
Jelly is similar, except that it contains more water than jam, so there’s less need for added sugar.
In both cases, however, the key ingredient is cranberries.
Cranberries contain high levels of tannins, which inhibit bacteria growth and help preserve food products.
Tannins also give jams and jellies their characteristic color and texture, creating a dense consistency and providing a pleasant tartness along with rich flavors.
Canned or jarred cranberry sauce is often used as a substitute for fresh berries.
However, if you prefer to use fresh ones, you can easily make your own by simmering whole berries until soft before straining out the seeds and pureeing the result.
You could then add additional water to create a smooth paste, or follow a simpler method from our guide on how to juice cranberries.
If you don’t have time to make your own cranberries, though, this cranberry jelly recipe can still work well for you.
It uses store-bought canned or jarred cranberries, which means you won’t have to worry about preparing fresh ones.
The resulting product has all the same characteristics as homemade cranberry jam, including the bright red coloring and distinctive cranberry flavor – it just lacks the extra step of puréeing the berries first.
The main difference is that you can eat the jelly straight away without having to refrigerate it, whereas jam must be stored in the fridge for several days to ensure it remains shelf stable.
As far as I know, you can’t do anything to extend its storage life once it’s been opened, although it should remain edible for quite some time after opening.
It’s important to note that cranberry jelly isn’t actually technically a jelly.
Jelly comes from fruit, while cranberry jelly is made exclusively from the berry itself.
If you want to learn more about what makes these two different types of preserves, read our article here.
Can You Freeze Cranberry Jelly?
You might think that there would be no point freezing it since it has so much liquid content, but if you do plan on storing it longer term then you should definitely keep it frozen until needed.
The main reason why you shouldn’t make cranberry jelly ahead of time is because the gelatin needs to set before you pour it into jars.
If you don’t allow enough time for the mixture to cool down completely then you run the risk of getting clumps of jelly instead of individual pieces, which isn’t ideal for serving.
If you store your cranberry jelly away from direct sunlight then it should last well over six months in the freezer, provided you take care not to thaw it out too quickly by leaving it sitting around too long.
Equipment
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Pan
- 1 freezer
Ingredients
- 1 pound cranberries
- 2 oranges
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- The cranberries should be placed in a pan. With a peeler, remove wide strips of zest from half an orange and add them, along with the juice from both oranges (approximately 1/2 cup), to a pot. Add 1 cup of water, along with the sugar, coriander, salt, and pinch. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer; cook, stirring periodically, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the berries burst and the sauce thickens.
- Remove the orange zest and turn the heat off before adding the vanilla. After transferring, mix in a blender until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, press the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a serving dish. Set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
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My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.