Cranberry Chutney and Conserve

Cranberry Conserve

 Here are two recipes using fresh cranberries. They are recipes that my family has been making for years but had quite a bit of sugar. Of course, cranberries don't have much in the way of natural sugar so you do need to add some, but I wanted to see if I could make them with a less refined sweetener like brown rice syrup. I like my cranberries a little on the tart side; add more sweetener if you like your cranberries sweeter.


Cranberry Conserve
4 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 cup Sucanat
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 large orange, juiced and zest of rind
1 lemon, juiced and zest of rind
1 cup chopped nuts ***would be great with walnuts or pecans; I make it with almonds as we have allergies in my family to the others
1 cup raisins or juice-sweetened cranberries or half of each
1/2 cup water

NOTE on the sugar:this amount of sweetener will make the conserve slightly tart. Taste it after you add the sugars and if it isn't sweet enough for your taste then add additional Sucanat. You may substitute any dry sugar for the Sucanat such as maple sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, Rapadura sugar.

Place cranberries and water in saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cranberries begin to burst. Add the Sucanat and brown rice syrup, the juice from the orange and lemon, the zest from the orange and lemon, and the raisins.
Cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the nuts.
Pour into a mold or bowl to set.
It usually sets well enough to be unmolded onto a decorative plate. 

Cranberry Chutney
In a saucepan simmer 1/2 cup sliced onions with 1/2 cup brown rice syrup, 2 Tbsp agave, and 2 Tbsp water, for about 10 min.
Add 1/4 c apple cider vinegar, 2 small apples (peeled, seeded & diced), pinch sea salt, 1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger, 1/4 tsp each mace & curry, and grated rind of 1 orange.Simmer another 10 min.
Add 2 cups fresh cranberries, 1/4 cup currants, and the juice of 1 orange.
Taste for sweetness and add any additional sweetener now. Remember it is a savory flavor, not as sweet as cranberry sauce.
Simmer slowly for about 10 min until all the cranberries have burst. 

Cranberry Chutney