parents canada

Look for these recipes in the holiday issue of Parents Canada magazine!

Spiced Cranberry-Apricot Marmalade

It gets better: I MADE IT IN THE CROCKPOT.

This will look far too runny for most of its cooking time, and then suddenly look like jam. If it happens sooner for you, trust the force and go with it; when it looks like jam, it’s jam. It’ll get darker than stovetop jam on account of all the caramelization going on – you could even call this Caramelized Spiced Cranberry-Apricot Marmalade, if you wanted to. (Sounds even fancier, doesn’t it?)

3 large oranges
2 lemons
2-3 cups dried apricots, chopped
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup water, orange or cranberry juice
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks

Grate the zest of the oranges and lemons using the coarse side of a box grater. Peel off the white pith and discard it and coarsely chop the fruit.

Put the grated orange and lemon peel, chopped oranges and lemons, chopped apricots, cranberries, water, ginger, sugar and cinnamon sticks into the bowl of a slow cooker. Stir. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally after 3 hours.

When the mixture has the consistency of runny jam (leave it to cook longer if it needs it, but keep in mind it will firm up as it cools), remove the cinnamon sticks and ladle the jam into warm, clean jars, leaving about 1/2” head space. Wipe the rims and seal according to the manufacturer’s directions. Alternatively, cool the jam completely and transfer to containers or freezer bags to refrigerate or freeze.

Makes about 5 250mL jars, plus extra for your toast.