The Original 'Joy' Of Fresh Cranberries

Today's chefs continue to find new ways to use cranberries -- cranberry salsas, cranberry chutney and cranberries with wines and liqueurs.

We have gone in the opposite direction this year, back to the basics. This is an adaptation of the cranberry recipe from Irma Rombauer's original 1931 "Joy of Cooking" (we've updated it by including refrigeration). It was dropped from "Joy" when the classic cookbook was updated in 1997, but the authors have seen the error of their ways. It's reappearing in the "Joy" scheduled to come out next year.

Cranberry Jelly

8 servings

This has an intense flavor that's appreciated by people who love the flavor of unadulterated cranberries -- even those who have grown up with, and swear by, the canned version. Note that standard bags of cranberries weigh 12 ounces, so you'll need 1 1/3 bags for this recipe.

MAKE AHEAD: Several days ahead; cover tightly and refrigerate.

4 cups cranberries

2 cups boiling water

2 cups sugar

Have ready a 6- to 8-inch glass bowl.

Place the cranberries in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the boiling water. Cover and boil the berries for about 4 minutes, or until all the skins have burst.

Remove from the heat. Pour entire contents of saucepan through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Press cranberries through the sieve with a spoon or spatula until no pulp remains in the strainer. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups of liquid and pulp.) Rinse out the saucepan and return to the stovetop. Pour in cranberry puree and add sugar, stirring to combine. Boil for 5 minutes, skimming and removing any white froth from the top of the mixture.