Earlier this year we did some cabin time and on one morning took a drive to look for flowering Highbush Cranberry shrubs and were rewarded nicely. Last week we were back at the cabin and went back to where those cranberries were blooming and we found a treasure trove full of berry clusters. We never had to go more than10 feet off the road and in a couple hours had picked a mess of the berries. After another hour or so of washing and sorting the berries with had a pot with about 16 quarts. The pot was put on heat and allowed to simmer an hour so all the berries popped, then strained. We ended up with about 1-1/2 gallons of berry juice for jelly making.
Yesterday was jelly making day. I did two batches, freezing the remaining juice for another session when the jelly being made is gone. [and it won't take long for it to be gone, trust me.] 17 half-pints and two quarter pints.
Highbush cranberries grow wild up there at the cabin and are nothing like their namesakes. The only thing they share is the sour when eaten raw. Highbush Cranberries have a single ivory colored seed. As jelly they have a very mild, berry-like taste, but not of any specific berry and is slightly tart. On buttered toast it is great. On butter toast with peanut butter its even better. We enjoy Ritz crackers spread with cream cheese, then spread with the jelly while watching a good moving in the evening.
As a rule, the bushes yield is variable based on weather conditions at flowering time, the on the weather during the growth period. If it goes dry while the berries are developing, much fewer berries will result. The stars aligned this year and the shrubs had huge clusters of berries so we took advantage.
