Cranberry Jam

Thanksgiving came and went--we had friends over in our little Boston apartment and we visited family in the coal-topped hills of PA--yet we somehow didn't use our cranberries for Thanksgiving dinners.

In anticipation of the holidays, which we spent, for the first time, away from family and by ourselves in Boston, I made some cranberry jam.  It perfectly triggered waves of nostalgia with its spicy scent and flavor.

Cranberry Jam

(Adapted from Gourmet)

Ingredients

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

1 (12-oz) bag fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries (3 1/2 c.)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

1/2 c. water

3-4 cloves All Spice

3-4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 nutmeg, grated*

* Ingredients I added

Preparation

Scrape vanilla seeds from pod into a 2-quart heavy saucepan.  Add pod and remaining ingredients  (All Spice, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, if including) and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 20 minutes (jam will continue to thicken as it cools).

Puree jam in food mill set over a bowl, discarding skins and pod (I actually kept the skins for a less jelly-like, more jam-like texture).  Cool, stirring occasionally.