WHEN I FIRST MADE THIS CONSERVE, I WASN’T sure what to do with it. It had the punchy bitterness of marmalade, but with the texture of a relish. However, soon enough, it had grown on me to the point where I couldn’t imagine eating roast chicken without a dab. It’s wonderful around the holidays, when most people have a surplus of baked ham and roast turkey.
3 cups/300 g fresh cranberries
1 cup/240 ml orange juice
1 whole orange, seeded and finely chopped
1 tart apple (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and minced
12 dried apricots, chopped
½ cup/120 ml honey
2 cups/400 g granulated sugar
½ cup/70 g slivered almonds
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Prepare a boiling water bath and 5 half-pint/250 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
Combine the cranberries, orange juice, and chopped orange in a large, nonreactive pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and let cook until the cranberries begin to burst, about 10 minutes.
Add the chopped apple, apricots, honey, and sugar and increase the heat to high. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the orange rinds are tender and the mixture has thickened. When it reaches a thick, spreadable consistency, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chopped almonds and ginger.
Ladle the conserve into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/12 mm headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see page 11).
