This recipe for Cranberry and Bourbon Jam comes from expert jam-maker Jessica Koslow of Sqirl. The addition of Jack Daniels adds an extra boozy kick to the traditional side of cranberries. Sqirl’s jams, jellies, and marmalades are all made from produce from family-owned farms, and this one is no exception. Her cranberry jam is the one product that uses fruit from outside of California, but Koslow sources her cranberries from a friend who’s family owns a bog in Massachusetts.
All of Koslow’s jams are available at their cafe in Virgil Village (on Thanksgiving Day too until 12:30 PM) in case you don’t want to make your own.
Jessica also gave us a Brussels sprouts recipe that makes for a great Thanksgiving side that Evan Kleiman says has an ‘umami’ effect.
4 pounds 8 oz Cranberry
4 pounds 8 oz Organic Unrefined Sugar
1/4 cup Jack Daniels
Spices cinnamon, nutmeg, juniper
*Pectin Bag (or Bouquet Garni Bag)
(use if you are going to keep spices whole and just steeping)
Directions
Weigh the fruit. Place in Copper Pot. Add sugar to fruit. Turn heat to HIGH and STIR STIR STIR until sugar melts and fruit excretes its juices (an easier way is to put the cranberries on a sheet tray in the oven at 400. When they pop and excrete their juices add the sugar, stir and place back in the oven. Ten more minutes or so, add in the whisky and stir.
*Notes
As long as you know the ratios of sugar and fruit you can make the batch size that you want. Don’t make it too small, it will cook (and burn) too quickly.