Directions:

• Place 2 clean 500 ml or 4 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a boiling water canner. Cover jars with water and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.


• Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised. The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed. Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning.


• Wash cranberries; drain. Combine with water in large stainless steel saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil; cook until skins burst. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Purée or press mixture through a sieve and return strained portion to saucepan.


• Add sugar. For spicy sauce, tie cinnamon and cloves in cheesecloth square, making a spice bag, and add to cranberries. Gradually bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase heat, boil vigorously until mixture reaches gel point (before cooking the sauce, refrigerate 2 or 3 saucers; when the cooked mixture thickens, place a spoonful of it on a cold plate and place in freezer for 1-2 minutes. Then run a spoon handle through it. A gel has been achieved when the product does not run together when separated by the spoon handle).


• Ladle hot cranberry sauce into a hot jar to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if required, by adding more sauce. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining sauce.


• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch (2.5 cm) of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process –boil filled jars –250 ml jars: 10 minutes; 500 ml jars: 15 minutes.


• When processing time is complete, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on a protected work surface. Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands.


• After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within one year.

Notes & Tips