Highbush Cranberry Liqueur Food

HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY LIQUEUR RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash and rinse a large 40 oz glass container with a tight fitting lid. Wash and stem berries, chop into puree using a food processor and place in glass container. Add lemon and orange peel, vodka, sugar, and optional spices. Let stand for 4 weeks in a dark place, shaking gently each day to dissolve the sugar. Strain several times using cheesecloth, rebottle, and serve.

CRANBERRY LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Combine cranberries with 2 cups sugar.
• Add water and boil 4-5 minutes until skins start to pop.
• Remove from heat and cool.
• Put in a mixing jar, add vodka and shake vigorously.
• Cover and leave to infuse at least 7 days, shaking or stirring occasionally.
• Pour thru a coarse strainer and discard berries.
• Let rest 3-4 days.
• Without shaking the jar, decant only the clear liquor into another jar, leaving white residue in the original jar.
• The white residue can be put thru a paper strainer (I use an unbleached coffee filter) until liquid is clear; add the strained liquor to the already decanted liqueur.
• Combine liqueur with 2 more cups of sugar and shake vigorously until sugar is absorbed.
• Let clear overnight and bottle.

CRANBERRY SWIRL CHEESECAKE RECIPE RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Cranberry Filling: In a medium sized saucepan, place cranberries, sugar, and water. Then, over medium-high heat, cook the ingredients until boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium low and gently boil the filling, stirring often to prevent the filling from burning, until it becomes thick and syrupy and reduced to about 2 cups (480 ml). Remove from heat, stir in the zest, and let cool completely before using. (I like to make and refrigerate the cranberry filling the day before I make the cheesecake.) New York Cheesecake: Grease, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) round springform pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling. For Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer (can use a hand mixer) place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cream and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour half the cheesecake filling into the pan. Take one-half cup of the cranberry filling and place spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter and then swirl gently with a knife. Top with the remaining cheesecake batter. Spoon another one-half cup of the cranberry filling over the cheesecake batter and swirl gently with a knife. (Note: You will have leftover cranberry filling which can be served with the baked cheesecake.) Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan (to catch any drips) and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) and continue to bake for another 60 to 70 minutes or until firm and only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly. Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from cracking as it cools). Let cool before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. This cheesecake tastes best after being refrigerated at least eight hours or overnight. Serve the cheesecake with the leftover cranberry filling. Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cheesecake. Serves about 12-14 people.

HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY JELLY

Steps:

• Simmer the berries in the water (watch that the ratio is 2 c berries to 3 c water) for 10 minutes. Boil Rapidly for 3-5 minutes.
• Strain the liquid through a jelly bag or cheese cloth lined sieve overnight. Do not squeeze the mixture or your jelly will be cloudy.
• For each cup of juice, add 2/3 c white sugar. Stir it up well.
• I used 5 cups of juice and 4 1/2 c sugar for my batch.
• Bring to 220-222 degrees on candy thermometer.
• Remove from heat, skim off any foam.
• Pour into sterile jars and put in 5 minute water bath.
• OR: Bring juice and sugar to a boil, boil hard for 1 minute. Turn off heat, add pectin, stir well. Skim, fill jars and place in water bath 5 minutes.
• Enjoy your jelly!

HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a large covered kettle, simmer cranberries and water for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press berries through a strainer; discard skins. Strain mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth (juice will drip through; discard or set aside for another use). Measure 6 cups of the pulp that remains in the cheesecloth and place in the kettle. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour into freezer containers. Cool. Refrigerate or freeze.

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Pulse cranberries in a food processor just until roughly chopped; transfer to a clean glass container. Add vodka, simple syrup, lemon peel, orange peel, cinnamon stick, and allspice to cranberries; stir until well mixed. Seal container with a lid and store in a cool dark area, 3 to 5 days, stirring several times a day. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass bottle and refrigerate.

FAMOUS HIGHBUSH CRANBERRY JELLY

Steps:

• Bring the berries and water to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Crush the berries or put through a food mill.
• Strain the juice in a cheesecloth-lined sieve.
• Add any additional water if need to bring the juice up to 5 cups.
• Bring the juice and sugar up to a boil.
• Add the margarine, then the liquid pectin.
• Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly boil hard for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Skim foam from surface and pour into sterile pint jars and seal.
• Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
• NOTE: Highbush cranberries are a fruit of the honeysuckle, and completely different fruit than the lowbush or commercial cranberry.
• Highbush cranberries grow on a shrub with pointed leaves whereas cranberries grow on a vine with oval leaves.
• Highbush cranberries have a single seed, which needs to be removed.
• If you have ever smelled something reminiscent of stinky socks on a stroll through the bush, you are likely very close to a good patch of highbush cranberries.
• The seeded pulp of the highbush cranberry can be used interchangeably with the pulp of the regular cranberry in any recipe.