Apple-Cranberry Conserve

5 cups peeled, chopped apples

Brother Rick with "Old Yeller" abt 1967
in Sunnyside, WA

1-1/3 cup Apple Juice

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 pkg (1-3/4 oz) dry regular pectin

(or similar appropriate amount of liquid pectin)

3 cups sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp salt

Combine the apples, apple and lemon juices in a large Dutch oven.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in the pectin and bring to full rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Stir in sugar and cranberries.  Return to a full rolling boil.  Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, stir in spices.

Ladle into hot, sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space.  Wipe jar rims, apply lids.  Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes (start time when water begins to boil).  Remove jars from canner; cool on racks.  Makes six 1/2-pint containers.

Lemon Curd

Very good on crumpets or Englsh muffins. I've also stirred some into heavy cream to create a Lemmon Posset-like dessert.

1 stick butter

Grandpa Don (R) & unknown
in the 1920s (Alaska?)

1-1/4 cup sugar

3 lemons

5 egg yolks, beaten

Peel outer yellow part of lemons using vegetable peeler; reserve. Juice the three lemons (it should be about 1/2 cup of juice; if it is a little bit more that is OK, just increase the amount of sugar slightly).

In a heavy saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the sugar, lemon juice and the lemon peels; heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Stir some of the heated lemon mixture to the egg yolks to temper them, then stir yolks into the saucepan. Continue heating, stirring constantly, for about eight minutes until curd is thickened.

Pour through sieve into a bowl or large glass measuring cup (I use a 4-cup size). Discard lemon peels and pour curd into jars. Cool, then refrigerate. Keeps in refrigerator for several weeks.