This isn’t my traditional cranberry compote, which is made with oranges and ginger and walnuts.  Nor is it a cranberry chutney, which would require onions and other spicy things.  It’s just a very plain, simple cranberry jam – with a little bit of a bite.  I “invented” it on the spur of the moment this afternoon and it seems to work really really well.

Here are the ingredients.  Really simple: cranberries, sugar, water, and yes, those are chili peppers you see lying on the cutting board.

Start by rinsing your cranberries and picking out any soft or mushy or discolored ones:

Put the cranberries in a medium saucepan and add about 1 cup of water. It doesn’t look like enough, but don’t worry – it will be. Remember that the cranberries will release their juices while they cook.  Add 1/2 a cup of sugar.

Add the chilis. Keep them whole; they’ll be easier to pick out later if you’re not looking for bits of chili.

Bring everything to a boil over medium heat. You’ll hear the cranberries starting to pop as the liquid reaches a boil. Then lower to a simmer and cook for about 30 mins (or a little longer, if you want your jelly thicker).

Ladle into jars, picking out the chilis as you go. I suspect you could keep the chilis in, maybe putting one or two in each jar, but I also suspect that over time you’d wind up with some really hot jam, as opposed to the hint of spice that it has right at this moment. Use sterilized jars if you’re going to can these in a hot water bath. Otherwise, just a clean jar to keep them in the fridge will do fine.

Voila. A yummy, spicy, tart jam that goes great on turkey and cream cheese sandwiches, matches beautifully with peanut butter, and even is great stirred into a pot of plain greek yogurt!

Spicy Cranberry Jam

• 1 12oz bag of cranberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3-5 dried red chilis

Rinse and pick through the cranberries, removing any soft or discolored ones.  Place them in a medium saucepan with the water, sugar, and chilis.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for 30-45 minutes or until thick.  Remember that the jam will thicken up more as it cools, so don’t over cook it.

Ladle the jam into jars.  If canning, the pint jars can be canned in a boiling water bath for 12-15 minutes.  Otherwise, the jam will keep for 3-4 weeks in the fridge or will freeze for up to 6 months.

Makes about 2.5 pints, or 25 servings of about 1T (26g)

Nutritional Info:  Per 1T serving:  27 cals and 5.7g carbs.