Helen Witty's Sweet And Tart Pickled Cranberries

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Pick over and rinse cranberries; let them drain in a colander.

2. Step 2

   Combine vinegar, sugar and water in a large saucepan. Tie coriander, cloves and cinnamon loosely in cheesecloth, then pound the bundle lightly to bruise the spices. Add the spice bag to the vinegar mixture.

3. Step 3

   Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer, partly covered, 5 minutes.

4. Step 4

   Add cranberries to syrup and cook over very low heat, uncovered, shaking the pan often until the berries are heated through and the skins have cracked, about 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl; allow to cool. Cover cooled mixture and leave it at room temperature several hours or overnight.

5. Step 5

   Spoon the berries from the syrup into clean, hot 1-pint canning jars with new lids. Reheat the syrup to boiling, remove the spice bag and fill jars with syrup, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Remove air bubbles by inserting a thin plastic spatula or a wooden chopstick between the food and the jar, and add syrup if necessary. Cover. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Cool, and tighten lids. Allow the cranberries to mellow for two weeks before using.