Cranberry-orange Marmalade Recipe for December's Final Can Jam #tigresscanjam

Twelve months, twelve jams, jellies, chutnies or pickles: this is the end of Tigress' 2010 Can Jam, and it's been fun. I've discovered things I never knew about food in jars, and I've made some online friendships that I hope will last even longer than the food I've preserved. Thank-you, Hungry Tigress!

This month's challenge was dried fruits, and since I was in the Christmas spirit (also, because it's the most characteristically local thing I could think of for this time of year), I started with the idea of cranberries. It went through numerous permutations in my head (briefly, it was going to be a chutney), but it's turned into a marmalade, because that's where my jammin' heart is drawn in wintertime. The other dried ingredients are apricots and candied ginger.

If you want to give jam as a Christmas present, but neglected to make enough with summer fruit, this would be a fine fallback. The dried ingredients become completely reconstituted, and the taste is tart and sunny.

Cranberry-Orange Marmalade

Makes 8½ half-pint/250 mL jars

Oranges and lemons sing the bells of St. Clemens...

• 5 smallish lemons
• 4 medium navel oranges (Cara Cara would be nice.)
• ¼ cup of candied ginger (cut into small cubes)
• 12 dried apricots, sliced into thin strips
• 1½ cups of sweetened dried cranberries
• 4 cups of water
• 5½ cups of sugar

Directions

Before you start, read the complete instructions for sterilizing and processing jars safely.

1. Scrub the citrus fruit in warm soapy water.
2. Combine all ingredients except the sugar in a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer for about 4 hours, until citrus fruits are completely softened. (If the lemons soften before the oranges, take them out earlier. Or vice-versa. You want to be sure that all the citrus rind is nice and soft.)
3. Sterilize jars and warm up your lids.
4. Gently remove the oranges and lemons from the pot. Halve them and scoop out the insides over a strainer to save all the juice, which goes back into the pot. Discard seeds, pulp and membranes.
5. Slice the citrus peel into thin strips about an inch long. Return them to the pot. (You should now have 6 cups of proto-marmalade, to which you will add 5½ cups of sugar. Measure and adjust the quantities if you fear you have much more or less.*)
6. Add sugar and bring to a boil, stirring to incorporate the sugar, and boil until the mixture reaches the setting point (probably about 20 minutes).
7. Ladle into jars, seal with warm lids and process for 10 minutes at a rolling boil.

*You could top up with cranberry or orange juice if you don't have enough volume; if you have too much, you could add a bit of extra sugar in proportion.