By Whitney Donohue

Moapa Valley Progress

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I also wanted to focus on making something that would be appreciated for the holidays. Thus, my focus was on cranberries. I happened to have received a container in my last basket from Bountiful Baskets, which I promptly stuck in the freezer, waiting for the perfect recipe to come along.

Cranberries are one of those provocative fruits that you either love or you hate. It’s pretty much a draw in my house.

My goal was to create something that might appeal even to some of the cranberry haters out there (or at my house). I’m not sure I created something that cranberry haters would love, but I did manage to create something that they could live with, at least according to the cranberry haters in my family.

Apple Cranberry Conserve

• 8 small to medium apples

• 16 oz of cranberries

• 4 cups brown sugar

• ¾ cup orange juice

• ½ cup water

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp finely shredded orange peel

• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp ground allspice

Peel, core, and chop apples. Place in a heavy pot with remaining ingredients. Stir to coat apples. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil gently, stirring frequently for 30-35 minutes, or until mixture is thickened and sheets off of a metal spoon.

When it is the right consistency, the liquid will slide off the spoon in sheets rather than drips.

Ladle hot mixture into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.

Process jars in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes (start your timer when the water resumes boiling). Remove jars from water, cool on wire racks. Makes 7 half-pints.