THIS SYRUP IS A GREAT WAY TO USE UP POST-HOLIDAY cranberries (I can’t be the only one who overbuys in anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas). The resulting syrup is quite thin, but has a sparkling, intense taste. I find that the thinner syrup works best for mixing into sparkling water and cocktails. However, if you want a thicker syrup, you can cook it down further until it turns sticky and similar in consistency to molasses.
1 pound/455 g cranberries
2 cups/400 g granulated sugar
Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 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 with 3 cups/720 ml water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the berries burst, about 10 minutes.
Place a large fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and strain the cranberries and their juice through the sieve. Let the cranberries drip undisturbed. Do your best to resist the urge to press the berry mash to help it release its liquid as this will result in a cloudy syrup.
Discard the solids in the sieve and return the strained juice to the pot. Add the sugar and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that appears on the top.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot syrup into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/12 mm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see page 11).
