Saucy Red Currant, Apple 'n Cranberry Sauce

After (or was it before?!) giving birth to my daugther over six years ago, I discovered my mother's, and perhaps my grandmother's as well, love for canning. My father tends to think it's a little crazy, to which I respond that we can because we must just as he tends to his yard because he must. Meaning, it's something we do because we love and therefore we must!

Some of my favourites?

Salsa with Cilantro
Cranberry-Apple Sauce (kind'a like a relish!)
Cranberry Sauce of any kind
Cucumber Jelly
Holiday Pepper Jelly

This year, I had tons of red currants that I'd purchased from a local farm. Seeing as I love, love, love cranberry sauce blends (my daughter would eat it by the spoonful if permitted!) I searched and searched for a proper canning recipe for Currants and Cranberries. You can imagine my dismay when there did not appear to be any recipes using whole currants with the cranberries.

So what did I do? I decided to make my own canning recipe. I mean, isn't that how all recipes have developped? Someone figured out what would work, made it, loved it and passed it on to be tweaked and tried by others.

So here is it!

Saucy Red Currant, Apple 'n Cranberry Sauce

8 cups whole red currants
3 cups whole cranberries
4 cups chopped apples
2 cups brown sugar
3 cups white sugar (next time I'll try less white sugar for a hopefully tarter sauce!)
1 cup water
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 pouch liquid pectin (disclamer: my pectin was outdated, probably could'a used two pouches, but I like it sauc-y-fied not jell-y-fied!)

Blended really well in a rather large pot (oh I wish I had a picture! I'm sure I can find one from last year's batch, but it won't be with the currants). Likely cooked/simmered for somewhere between 15 to 45 minutes than poured into washed and sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Adjusted the washed and sterilized two-piece caps then processed in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes.

The yield? Let's see, I think we've consumed two jars already (the two-cupper jelly jars), given two away, which leaves us with hopefully enough for the winter! Which is about nine two-cupper jelly jars. Fortunately, it's just the beginning of cranberries-in-the-stores season here where bags are two for four bucks. And since I am compelled - oh yes, that's the word I was looking for earlier! Since I am compelled to can, I am looking forward to making another batch!

Feel free to try it, tweak it, or ask me for the original recipe "Cranberry-Apple Relish"