Chapter 10 · Pickling for Gifting & Occasions

Spiced Pickled Cranberries (Festive Gift Jar)

A festive gift jar designed to look as good as it tastes - genuinely useful, impossible to regift without someone noticing, and it looks like you tried a lot harder than you actually did.

Method
Fridge pickle
Ready in
3 days
Keeps
Up to a month in the fridge
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Ingredients

Units
Batch

Short on veg, or got a glut? Tap any underlined amount and type what you have - everything else rescales to match.

  • g fresh cranberries
  • ml apple cider vinegar
  • g sugar
  • ml water
  • cinnamon stick
  • whole cloves
  • star anise
  • Zest of orange

Method

  1. Prepare your jar

    Sterilise a decorative jar and lid in boiling water.

  2. Make the brine

    Combine the vinegar, sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and orange zest in a pot. Boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

  3. Add the cranberries

    Simmer gently for 5 minutes, until they just begin to soften and pop - don't overcook, or they'll turn to mush.

  4. Pack the jar

    Using a slotted spoon, pack the cranberries into the jar, then pour over the hot liquid, fully submerging them.

  5. Seal and store

    Seal, cool, and refrigerate. Ready after 3 days; keeps up to a month.

Good to know

  • Gifting it? A handwritten label with flavour, date, and a "keep refrigerated" note goes a long way.
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