Cranberry and Port Jelly

·         1.5kg cranberries

·         1 cinnamon stick

·         A few juniper berries

·         2 cloves

·         Strip of orange zest

·         Preserving sugar

500ml ruby port

1.       Put the cranberries, cinnamon stick, juniper berries, cloves, orange zest and port into a large pan or preserving pan. Add enough water to barely cover and bring to the boil. Simmer over a gentle heat for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and become tender. Mash well, using a potato masher, to extract as much juice as possible.

2.       Strain through a jelly bag or muslin-lined nylon sleeve set over a large bowl. Do not be tempted to press the fruit or squeeze the bag, this will cause the jelly to become cloudy. Leave overnight.

3.       Next day, when the dripping has stopped, carefully measure the resulting liquid and return it to the pan along with 275g of preserving sugar for each 600ml of liquid. Stir well over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved completely. Add the port.

4.       Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 10 – 15 minutes before testing for a set. If necessary, boil for a further minute then test again. Continue testing at 1 minute intervals, as necessary, until the jelly has reaches setting point.

5.       Remove the pan from the heat, skim off any scum and allow the jelly to cool briefly. Carefully pour the jelly into hot sterilised jars. Seal the jars and allow the jelly to cool completely before labelling and storing.