Tart Cranberry Dipping Sauce

6:10:00 PM

Canning Homemade

Lila found a great way to put up cranberries that is more of a dip than a sauce or spread. I don't know about her but I was lucky enough to see Alton Brown on tour and it changed my mind about who he is as an entertainer, chef, and musician(a very good guitar and sax player) Did you know that he plays the sax in the theme music to his "Good Eats" show? Anyway....

I loved the idea of using ginger ale with cranberries, as well as, maple syrup for an extra thickener and sweetener. Most cranberry dips use cream cheese or sour cream so this would be a great non-dairy version. This dip would be perfect with the big straw pretzels, pita chips, sweet potato fries, on the side of potato pancakes, and also might make a welcome substitute ranch for chicken strips or peanut sauce for pork satay. Thank you Lila for sharing this recipe and the work you did on the jars.

Tart Cranberry Dipping Sauce
(Adapted from Alton Brown's - Cooking Channel)
2 pound frozen cranberries
4 cups orange juice
6 cups ginger ale
6 tablespoons maple syrup
8 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 oranges, zested

Preparation - Make sure to thaw the cranberries before making the recipe. Prepare 9 half pint jars for sterilizing by boiling them for 10 minutes in a water bath canner.

Cooking - In a stockpot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Carefully puree with an immersion blender or blender until smooth.

Filling jars - Using your funnel fill the jars with the cranberry mixture in half pints or pint size canning jars. Continue filling till the jars are filled to 1/4" headspace. Remove the air bubbles with the rubber or plastic spatula and refill to the proper headspace if necessary.

Processing: Wipe the rims and place the hot lid/rings on the jars. Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes at a full rolling boil. (Adjust for altitude) Wait 5 minutes, remove and place on dishtowel overnight undisturbed. The next day remove rings and clean jars and label with recipe name and date. Store in a cool, dry, and dark place.