Spiced Cranberry Relish!

8 days until Christmas - and just to remind us about that, we woke up to a light dusting of snow this morning.  It's now early afternoon, the sun is streaming in the windows and the snow has all melted.  Not so on Vancouver Island which got considerably more than we did in the Gulf Islands.  But we have been warned!

Rose Hips - not cranberries!

There's not much to do in the garden right now - especially since I have my blinkers on so that I can't see all the things that should be tidied up!  The leeks and chard will sit happily in their beds waiting out the winter cold ready to be snapped up for dinner.  The garlic is poking up through its mulch and several beds have been cleaned out and prepared for spring.  And today I dispatched my seed order!  Spring's not that far away after all!

But today it's time to make cranberry sauce.  I have a very simple recipe I've used for years that makes a spicy, relishy sauce that goes very well with turkey.  It's simmering away right now scenting up the house with promises of meals to come.

Ingredients assembled - action!

Spiced Cranberries

2 lb fresh cranberries
1 1/3 cups vinegar
2/3 cup water
4 cups sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves

In a large dutch oven combine cranberries, vinegar, water, sugar and spices.  Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Continue simmering while quickly filling the hot sterilized jars to within 1/8" from the top.

Seal the jars at once.  Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.  Makes 4 pints.  I put it up in jars sized from a pint (for Christmas) to tiny half-cup jars for the two of us to use through the year.