This post may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details.
There is a certain satisfaction to picking Highbush cranberries yourself, not only because they are free-appealing to the cheapskate within- but also that my kids got to help me pick and then eat their just rewards. Those little turkeys were right in the bushes with me, “helping” to pick these and said little turkeys have been enjoying this jelly in their sandwiches and on toast.
It really isn’t just for turkey at Thanksgiving, it has that definite taste of cranberry jelly, but is miles away from the commercial stuff.
I am going to have to git out there and pick more berries, because the jelly is a daily demand on toast now. I am going to run out before a single major holiday rolls around!
Ingredients Needed:
8 cups ripe highbush cranberries
7 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 pouch Certo Liquid
Take your eight cups of cranberries and squish them. Which is actually popping them. Son of a gun, I looked like I was blood splattered after this part of the recipe, it looked like something out of a horror movie. The berries do not squish nicely, they explode.
What I finally did was take a cup and use the bottom to mash them, not only did it help keep the bloody cranberry gore splatters from flying everywhere, it popped them better.
Add the water into the pot and boil the berries for 10-15 minutes. This part is stinky, they don’t emit a very pleasant odor when boiled. Or at all actually, when we picked them I actually “smelled” the berries first, so I started looking for them while we walked.
It sounds rather Les Stroud of me, but in the fall when you are walking in the bush and smell something that is worse than your gym shoes? That’s fall ripened cranberries.
Once they are done boiling, strain them through a cheesecloth. I put the cheesecloth over a colander, then over a pot, works beautifully.
Once it cools enough, you can lift it up and squeeze the remainder out of the cheesecloth. (Purists will NOT squeeze as they say it makes the jelly cloudy. Mine was still as clear as a bell, choose whichever you want!)
You will get a good 5 cups of juice, and to this add your sugar. Time to boil it up!
Once it’s boiling, stir in the liquid certo. Bring it back to a full boil, then boil it hard for a minute or two, making sure to stir constantly.
There will be foam on top, so skim it off. I have found that if you let it sit for a couple minutes, the foam forms a skin on top, making it really easy to scoop it all off cleanly.
You do want to try and get it all off, when making a jelly it’s so crystal clear that foam bits show up as “floaties” in the middle of the jar.
Pour into your sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch left at the top. Make sure that before you put the lids on, wipe the rims as clean as possible, because this is is number one reason they won’t seal when you put them in the canning pot and boil them.
These needed to be boiled in the canning pot for 10-15 minutes.
I did a lot of small 125 ml jars to give away with my Christmas baking this year, little tastes for everyone. Not everyone likes cranberry jelly-though I now dare them to try this instead, what a difference- and the 125ml is a perfect size for one meal with a few people who like it on their poultry.
Now, I need to get out to the River Valley and find some more cranberries to pick, so the kids can have some! I hid my little Christmas jars on them and they keep asking for jelly, mean mother that I am.
Highbush Cranberry Jelly
- Prep Time
- 30 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Course
- Condiment
- Cuisine
- Canadian
- Servings
- 15
- Calories
- 386
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 8 cups ripe highbush cranberries
- 7 cups sugar
- 3 cups water
- 1 pouch certo liquid
Instructions
- Take your eight cups of cranberries and squish them. Which is actually popping them. Son of a gun, I looked like I was blood splattered after this part of the recipe, it looked like something out of a horror movie. The berries do not squish nicely, they explode. What I finally did was take a cup and use the bottom to mash them, not only did it help keep the bloody cranberry gore splatters from flying everywhere, it popped them better.
- Add the water into the pot and boil the berries for 10-15 minutes. This part is stinky, they don't emit a very pleasant odor when boiled. Or at all actually. When we picked them I actually smelled the berries first, so I started looking for them while we walked. It sounds rather Les Stroud of me, but in the fall when you are walking in the bush and smell something that is worse than your gym shoes? That's fall ripened cranberries.
- Once they are done boiling, strain them through a cheesecloth. I put the cheesecloth over a colander, then over a pot, works beautifully. Once it cools enough, you can lift it up and squeeze the remainder out of the cheesecloth. You will get a good 5 cups of juice, and to this add your sugar.
- Time to boil it up! Once it's boiling, stir in the liquid certo. Bring it back to a full boil, then boil it hard for a minute or two, making sure to stir constantly.There will be foam on top, so skim it off. I have found that if you let it sit for a couple minutes, the foam forms a skin on top, making it really easy to scoop it all off cleanly. You do want to try and get it all off, when making a jelly it's so crystal clear that foam bits show up as floaties in the middle of the jar.
- Pour into your sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4 inch left at the top. Make sure that before you put the lids on, wipe the rims as clean as possible, because this is is the number one reason they won't seal when you put them in the canning pot and boil them. These needed to be boiled in the canning pot for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Made this recipe?
Share a photo of what you made on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thekitchenmagpie or hashtag it #thekitchenmagpie.
Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!
Learn to cook like the Kitchen Magpie
A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook
Cookies, Candies, Cakes & More: Vintage Baking to Celebrate the Festive Season!
Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky
A Modern Baker’s Guide to Old-Fashioned Desserts
The Prairie Table
Suppers, Potlucks & Socials: Crowd-Pleasing Recipes to Bring People Together
Connie says
I smash a couple cups at a time in a zip lock baggie using a bit cup or something. It works great. I might try not cooking them next time because smashing them this way seems to get all the juice out.
Connie says
“big cup”
Marcy Donnette says
I wanted to cry seeing Highbush cranberry jelly on here! I would give my eye teeth to get hold of those berry bushes. I lived in Alaska in the early 80’s and would put my baby son in a back pack, my baby daughter in a front (cuddle) pack and go out at midnight, they were NOT good sleepers and I would pick buckets of those berries. That Christmas I canned 40 qts of HBC jelly and mailed them to family in the lower 48. One thing we did up there was add that little bitty can of concentrated orange juice. Best jelly ever! Wish they would grow in coastal Virginia.
Gord Mackie says
Your recipe is very close to the one my family has used in rural Manitoba for more than a century. Variations? 1. You can use a lot less sugar. Just experiment – your tongue likes experiments. 2. Clean the stems and bugs (there will be bugs and jelly is not about protein at all!) from the just picked berries, then freeze them for a day or two (or several months: they keep). After they thaw they will release the pits with less mess. 3. If you don’t have an adequate supply of liquid after straining, make up the difference with pure apple juice. 4. Try substituting as much sherry as you like for water in the recipe.
Pauline says
I find it a little too sweet. Would I ruin it by using 5 1/2-6 cups of sugar? I grew up with this jelly and I love it.
Malory says
I’m trying to prepare for how many jars I’ll need to try this recipe! How many half pints? You mentioned you did lots of 125ml jars, but I didn’t see the exact number to calculate. Thanks!
Danny D says
I I purchase some cranberry& honey jelly from a local d so hop in missippi. My wife loved it. They are out of business. I am a rookie jam/jelly canner and would like to surprise my wife. Problem is all my other recipes caution not to adjust the sugar or it may not set. How much honey should I add to avoid making it too sweet? HELP
Michelle says
I am just making jelly today, the berries were picked yesterday. We have had our first frost, the berries are seldom picked before the first frost and often not until October. The berries have a “glassier” look to them but are still plump and easy to pick without the skin popping off and leaving the seed behind. I find the berries mash more easily if I cook them for a few minutes then mash them.
CTse says
Has anyone tried to add any spices to this? (not chili, but something else…cinnamon or clove?
cTse says
I might try simmering it with vanilla rooibos tea…
James says
So, the recipe worked perfectly. However, the stinky gym smell comes through in the finished product, which I assume is just inherent in the berries. Does anyone have a suggestion to minimize the offputting smell/flavor when consuming the otherwise divine jelly?
Peter Andersen says
We have been making this Jelly for as long as I can remember…..I am now 57.
Do not boil the seeds/skins to get that little bit extra juice. Squeeze as much juice out of the berries as you can raw. Then make the Jelly.
Delicious and doesn’t smell like Dirty Socks.
Lawrence Prystanski says
My suggestion that I do is add a tablespoon of Orange zest, I like using the Navel oranges due to there thicker skin and when using a zester you can add a tablespoon or more. This gives it a nice citrus aroma and gets rid of the powerful rotten sock jelly as my mom calls it.
Marcy Donnette says
try adding the 6 Oz. can of concentrated orange juice (unreconstituded).
Judy says
If you pick 25% underripe cranberries, there is enough natural pectin to make the jelly without using commercial pectin. Use cup for cup of juice and sugar. Boil until it reaches 220 degrees.
Lynn hoy says
Can I use sure jell powder instead of certo liquid I am using cranberries not cranberry juice cocktail
Karlynn Johnston says
I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t guarantee it will work.
Brenda Funk says
Actually you don’t need any certo at all for these berries, just like crab apple jelly doesn’t need certo. There is a lot of pectin in them….just boil juice for 3 minutes, add sugar, boil till jelling stage….I’m an old Mennonite who’s done this for years. They set just fine…in fact you have to be careful not to boil too long because the jelly can set too hard.
Eric says
I’ve used your simple but, wonderful recipe for 5+ years and it always turns out great – I’ve included a quarter cup or less of regular cranberries – in the 5 cups of juice, it adds a little different zest. It is hard to get juice out of the regular cranberries it is more like a mush.
This should be a great summer for highbush in northwest Minnesota near Pembina, North Dakota.
We had a lot of blossoms in the swamp. Pembina is French Canadian for highbush cranberries.
RLMRQ says
She’s not kidding with the smell. My landlord gave me a big box of them and he was so proud and I was confused lol. They’re a tad offensive. I’ve never even heard of them. Recipe is spot on, adjust times for altitude, obviously. Really appreciate that the recipe includes HOW MUCH juice.
Did a batch with chili paste as another poster mentioned, stick to 2tbsp, don’t be a hero, I did 3, I learned my lesson.
Easy, simple. Thanks for sharing it!
Barbara says
A very good recipe. I modified it by adding 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce and the result was terrific.
Sandra says
Can we forgo the 15 minute oil in the canning pot? Isn’t this just like making a raspberry jelly? No need to use a canning pot for that.
Krista says
Barbara, what kind of chili sauce? The kind you use for eggroll sauce? Help me ;o)
Lyle Connon says
when we boil the berries we put approximately 1 to 1/2 cups in a slow blender. blend for a few seconds and put mixture through a large sieve. the jelly will not be as clear but it is excellent. less wasteage
Brenda says
This recipe turned out just great for me, delicious flavour! However I did have to alter it just slightly. I live at an altitude of 3000 feet. I used two pouches of liquid certo, which could be because my cranberries were very ripe and maybe didn’t have enough natural pectins in them. I ended with the two pouches, and boiled the mixture for 6 to 8 minutes. The consistency is just perfect, not hard and rubbery, and not runny like syrup. One batch made 10 of the small one cup size jam jars. I’ve made two batches so far, and it is so good that my husband is out picking more berries. Should have enough for two more batches, plus reserving some of the juice just to use as juice. A successful harvest. Thank you for the recipe!
I
Brenda says
Oh and I forgot to add as well that it is much easier to start your berries boiling before crushing them. NO MESS! Just use a potato masher with the small holes in it.