METHOD:

1. Clean and select berries. Remove any damaged or mushy fruit before washing. If using fresh cranberries gently wash and dry on a clean tea towel or paper towel to remove any excess moisture. If using frozen berries, defrost and wash and gently dry as above. 

2. While they are drying combine sugar and vinegar into a preserving pan or heavy-bottom stainless-steel pan. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar.

3. Lightly crush the spices and make a spice bag, by placing the spices into a calico cloth and tie securely with kitchen twine. Refer to the Notes Section below on making a spice bag.

   Add the spice bag to the vinegar mixture and simmer gently with the lid on for approximately 15 minutes to extract the flavours.

4. Add the cranberries and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes until they are just cooked and have retained their shape. They should remain whole.

   Remove from the heat. Using a stainless-steel spoon transfer whole cranberry to dry sterilised jars. Do not over fill the jars at this point. 

5. Use a funnel to cover the pickle with the vinegar solution and fill to approximately 2.5cm (1 inch) from the top of the bottle and seal. The vinegar must completely cover the cranberries. 

   Label, and store in a cool dark place in the kitchen or pantry and use within 2 months. 

   For longer term storage, vacuum seal using either the Food Preserving Unit or Stock Pot method listed in the Notes Section below.

6. Allow the pickles to mature for at least 4 weeks before eating.

   After opening store in the refrigerator.

NOTES:

• Choose ripened clean berries. Do not use overripe and never use mouldy fruit as this will produce a poor-quality preserve.
• Good quality jars should be used in all preserving, particularly when they are processed in a hot water bath. Thin jars often cannot withstand the temperatures and may crack either in the bath or on and or after removal. Avoid the disappointment and invest in some good jars from a homewares or preserves outlet. Select jars that have non-reactive lids as the vinegar solution can cause the lids to rust over time.
• To make a spice bag, drape clean sterilised calico or muslin cloth over a bowl. Place the lightly crushed spices in the cloth. Gather up the ends and close the bag by tying it up with kitchen twine. Crushing the spices and allowing room between the tie point and spices enables the water to bubble through the bag easily. This helps to extract as much flavour as possible. Discard the spices once the bag has been removed from the preserving pan. Wash, dry and keep the cloth for the next batch. My tea towel draw has a range of different sized cloths that are on hand for my preserving experiments.
• Purchase spices from a shop that has a fairly rapid turnover, to ensure freshness and strong flavour and aroma. 
• Remove the cranberries when the are just cooked, or slightly undercooked.  They will continue to soften in the hot syrup until it cools and during the maturing process. 
• Any leftover spiced syrup can be used as a delicious cranberry shrub. Just add some to a glass, top with ice and pour over still, mineral or soda water to make a refreshingly healthy drink. Traditionally made as a concentrated syrup it’s an alternative to sweet cordials. Fruit, sugar, vinegar, and spices are simmered to create interesting flavour combinations. They are inexpensive to make and perfect way to use up left over sweet, spiced vinegar from pickled fruits. 
• Food Preserving Unit Method
  • Place sealed bottles/jars in Fowlers Preserving Unit  or equivalent.
  • Cover with water, bring to the boil and hold at gentle boil for 30 minutes.
  • Turn off, remove lid, and allow to stand for 5 minutes before removing.
  • Using the tap on the preserving unit draw off some of the hot water.  Reduce to a level that is sufficiently below the bottles to be able to safely remove them without scalding yourself.
  • Remove from hot water bath and place on a board and rest overnight. A vacuum will form inside each jar and as it cools, it will draw down the lid and create a secure seal.
• Stock Pot Method
  • Line a large stock pot with some sheets of newspaper or a cut-down cake rack. Place the bottles on the newspaper or rack, in the pot, allowing space between each bottle so they do not touch. This lining will protect the bottles from direct heat and help prevent cracking.
  • Cover the preserves with water which is the same temperature as the preserves. Bring to the boil and hold at gentle boil for 30 minutes.
  • Turn off, remove lid, and allow to stand for 5 minutes before removing.
  • If possible, remove some of the hot water so the level is sufficiently below the bottles to be able to safely remove them without scalding yourself. 
  • Remove from hot water bath and place on a board and rest overnight. A vacuum will form inside each jar and as it cools, it will draw down the lid and create a secure seal.