Cranberry yummy....

I spent my Sunday morning making super delicious pumpkin spice pancakes for the monkeys.... Sunday's are always pancake breakfasts.... I; however, generally still have my same old boring oatmeal.... somehow my day seems not quite right if I don't have it, weird huh?

Anyhow, I used this recipe for the pancakes, that I found pinned all over Pinterest.... and judging by all the "Mmmm's" coming from my breakfast table, I'm guessing they are everything they say, and more!

Then, being inspired by the vintage jars I brought home Saturday, I decided to do some canning.... cranberry sauce to be exact.  I picked up 2 bags of cranberries last week when I was grocery shopping.... I love cranberry sauce, and it's so much better homemade.... but, since I'm the only one in my house who likes it, much of what I make goes to waste.  So, I decided to do some preserving in small jars....

Here's my recipe for cranberry sauce:

You'll need:

1 bag of cranberries (I use ocean spray)
1 cup orange juice (with or without pulp)2/3 to 1 cup sugar (white or brown)
1 to 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
(optional) grated rind from one orange

Mix juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a saucepan, heat to boiling.  Once liquid is boiling, add the cranberries and grated orange rind.  Lower heat to medium and allow cranberries to simmer roughly 10 minutes.  You'll hear the cranberries popping as they heat and the liquid will begin to thicken.  You can mash the cranberries is you wish or leave them, just depends on the texture you want.

This makes just over 2 cups of sauce.  Sauce cooled to room temperature can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for 6 months.  If you want to preserve it, you'll need a hot water canner, sterile jars with lids and rings, funnel, jar lifter.  Make sure hot sauce goes into warmed jars, wipe jar rims and seal leaving at least 1cm. head space, process in a hot water bath for at least 10 minutes (remember:  hot jars go into the canner with warm water).  Remove being careful not to jostle jars about and let rest til cooled.  Store in a cool, dark place.

And there you have it!  Yummy cranberry sauce ready to enjoy whenever you like, or to give as gifts!  The bigger vintage jar and the half full jar went straight to the fridge for our upcoming belated Thanksgiving dinner with my in-laws, who will be arriving this coming Wednesday....

Have a great Monday everyone ;)