Cranberry-Orange Ginger Jelly

 

This is a recipe I got from Dr. Sunyatta Amen. She is a Naturopathic physician. I took it, tweaked it, made it my own and it came out great so I want to share it with you.

But first...according to Dr. Amen, there are several reasons to love fresh cranberries. Here is what she says:

Why fresh cranberry?

* Urinary Tract Infections - The proanthocyanidins found in cranberry appear to block the adhesive strands on the E. coli bacteria

* Anti-Cancer Activity - It has been suggested that the proanthocyanidin compounds found in cranberry exhibits anti-carcinogenic activity.
* Heart Disease - Cranberry extract has been shown to inhibit low density lipoprotein oxidation thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
* Kidney stones - quinic acid in cranberry may help to prevent the development of kidney stones.

I did some additional cranberry research of my own and I found a website that hailed all the benefits of this often overlooked fruit. Here is what some of the research shows:

Anti-cancer - In 1996 laboratory studies conducted by University of Illinois scientists and published in Planta Medica demonstrated the potential anticarcinogenic properties of cranberries. More recently researchers at the University of Western Ontario demonstrated, using an animal model, that human breast cancer cells showed significantly lower incidence of tumor development when the experimental group's diet was supplemented with cranberries. Although these results are very preliminary, compounds in cranberries may prove to be a potent cancer fighter.
Anti-aging - Using an animal model James Joseph, Ph.D. and Barbara Shukitt-Hale Ph.D. have been experimenting with cranberries and their ability to protect brain cells from free radical damage and subsequent motor and cognitive function losses. Rats feed diets supplemented with cranberries are put through a series of tests to evaluate their neural function compared to a control group. Preliminary results indicate that there will be compelling evidence that cranberry can help protect the brain from neurological damage (unpublished results).

Dental - Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2002) reported on a preliminary clinical trial using a mouthwash containing cranberry NDM. Saliva samples of the experimental group showed a two order of magnitude reduction in Streptococcus mutans colony forming units compared with the placebo group (unpublished data). A large percentage of dental caries (cavities) can be attributed to S. mutans.
Heart - Flavonoids have been shown to function as potent antioxidants both in vitro and in vivoand may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Cranberries contain significant amounts of flavonoids and polyphenolic compounds that have been demonstrated to inhibit low density lipoprotein oxidation. Ongoing research continues to suggest that cranberries may offer a natural defense against atherosclerosis.
Ulcers - Peptic ulcers are increasingly being attributed to infection by Helicobacter pyloribacteria, as opposed to stress and/or stomach acidity. A high-molecular-weight nondialysable constituent of cranberry juice has been shown to inhibit the adhesion of H. pylori to human gastric mucus in vitro. These preliminary results suggest that cranberry may be beneficial in the prevention of peptic ulcers through the inhibition of H. pylori adhesion to gastric mucus and stomach epithelium.

For someone like myself without insurance, I found the dental information to be the most appealing. In fact, I ordered myself a sample of Burt's Bees newest all natural cranberry toothpaste just a week or so ago (still waiting for it to come in). Obviously someone is catching onto the research and at least giving it a shot. (Now I'm anxious...where is my toothpaste?)

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Ok ok. I know what you're thinking. On with it. Alright, so here is the recipe:

1 pound fresh cranberries, rinsed
2 oranges (peeled and de-seeded)
2/3 cup agave syrup
1 inch thumb ginger, finely grated
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

So you add these ingredients all together in a food processor. High Pulse several times to allow the cranberries to break up. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to set and let the flavors mingle.

**NOTE**

I didn't have any agave syrup on hand so I used Grade B Pure Organic Maple Syrup in its place. Taste-wise they come from two very different worlds. However I love pure maple syrup and it adds a nice earthy taste to the recipe. Also, pure maple syrup is a decent source of the trace mineral manganese and zinc. You could also substitute Blood Oranges for regular ones.

As is, mine didn't set like a jelly would. Cranberries have enough pectin naturally that you don't need to add any for it to set. However the more ripe the fruit is the more the pectin breaks down. Maybe I was just impatient but it wasn't setting like I wanted it to, so took half the batch and added some to see how it would differ.

The as-is version taste great just as it is. If you like you could eat it like you would apple sauce or something. Really good. Also you can eat with fruit, add to muffin mix to make cranberry muffins, add to oatmeal or cream of wheat to help sneak in healthy nutrients for your kids, or add it to a jello to make fruit jello, eat with crackers, add on top of a homemade cheesecake... etc. You can get really creative with it. I also used it as a spread on turkey sandwiches, and it was, as Rachel Ray would say, Delish!
Those are just a few of my ideas...do you have any others?? Leave a comment and let me know if you do.

So for the other half of the batch, here is what I did:


Heat mixture on stove and allow to come to a full boil.
Add a package of fruit pectin (I used Sure-Jell)
Allow to boil again. Stir in a tbsp of sugar (needed to help it set otherwise I wouldn't have as it was plenty sweet enough)
Pour into ball jars leaving 1/8" space at the top for expansion. Boil a pot of water and set sealed jar in and allow to boil for 5-10 minutes. 5 minutes for jelly, 10 minutes for jam according to instructions. I didn't really time mine. It was somewhere in that range though)
Allow to cool. (After the jars cool, check seals by pressing the middle of the lid with finger. If it springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Store un-opened jams and jellies in cool, dry, dark place up to 1 year.

Refrigerate opened jams and jellies up to 3 weeks.

Please let me know how yours comes out should you decide to give it a try and also how you like it. I am interested in what everybody thinks!!