Homemade Cranberry Preserves

Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C and antioxidants.  They also contain proanthocyanidins, which protect you against bladder and urinary tract infections.  Reportedly, other health benefits include lowering cholesterol, heart disease, kidney stones, gum disease and stomach cancer.

Do you have 15 minutes and a wooden spoon?  Lately I have tried my hand at making my very own fruit preserves.  Homemade cranberry preserves is a delectable sweet-tart combination and so easy to whip up with just three simple ingredients (If you can eat cranberries without adding sugar, more power to you.  Just the thought makes me pucker.):

Cranberry Preserves

Ingredients:
2 14 ounce bags cranberries
2 cups water
1 cup brown sugar

Optional: Some cooks like to add orange zest or fresh grated ginger. I tend to keep it pure.

Directions:
1. Pour all the ingredients into a pot.  Stir and bring to a boil on a stovetop.
2. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until it thickens.  Stir ocassionally with a wooden spoon.  You will hear the cranberries pop.  (If you simmer the cranberry mixture for 7-8 minutes you have cranberry sauce.  Double the time to get the thicker cranberry presrves.)
3. Let the cranberry mixture cool, then mash with a potato masher.
4. Pour into jars or containers.
I got my mitts on an iphone and took these photos.
This snack, peanut butter with cranberry preserves on whole grain bread, was a reward for all my hard-not work.Try cranberry preserves with brie on crackers, and spoon some into plain yogurt. Tasty.

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