There’s nothing new under the sun in the food world and this technique as applied to fruit preserves is probably in use somewhere. For all I know, this might be a common technique in jam making, which I know little about. If you know of a recipe like this that starts by adding fruit to hot caramel, please point me to it so I can research it further.

The key idea is to minimize the cooking time to retain the fresh fruit flavors and aromas. Start with no added liquid other than honey and maple syrup cooked down until it’s a caramel. Adding fruit to this intensely hot syrup causes the fruit to pop quickly and give up its juices fast. The small amount of juice produced is the only liquid that needs to cook off.

This recipe yields a chunky sauce of thick consistency with cranberries that still pop between the teeth, and apples that stil have some texture. If you like a less chunky sauce, I have some suggestions after the recipe.

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Fresh n’ Fruity Cranberry Chutney
©2004 Professor Salt

Yield: roughly 1/2 quart (all measurements in US units)

Ingredients:
One 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
1 medium sized apple – I used a Fuji
1/4 cup maple syrup - I like the dark and strongly flavored US grade B
1/4 cup honey
freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Optional:
Black pepper, a few grinds, to taste
Ground cardomom, to taste
Grand Marnier, a splash to add flavor, but not enough to booze it up.
Maple syrup, to taste

1. Rinse cranberries in a bowl of water. Discard stems and spoiled berries. Drain berries in a colander.
2. Core and chop apple, with skin on, into small pieces about the same size as cranberries
3. Mix maple syrup and honey in a 3 quart saucepot with a heavy clad bottom, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Reduce the syrup and measure it with a candy thermometer until it reaches hard crack stage, 300 degrees Farenheit.
5. Quickly add cranberries.
6. Stir fruit with a heat resistant silicone spatula or wooden spoon constantly for 2 minutes. Scrape syrup off the bottom of pot, and coat all of the fruit with the syrup.
7. Add the apples, and stir again to coat.
8. Reduce heat to low, and allow the fruit to seep out its juices.
9. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until the juices have evaporated and/or absorbed into the sauce. Stir every few minutes during cooking. Time will vary depending on how juicy the fruit started out.
10. Remove pot from heat, and dip the pot into a sinkful of cool water to bring contents quickly to room temperature.
11. Add salt, pepper, lemon zest, and optional ingredients like vanillla, Grand Marnier, or spices, and taste.
12. If more sweetener is desired, drizzle maple syrup and meditate until nirvana is achieved.
13. Transfer cooled sauce into a sealed container, and store in refrigerator.

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NOTE: Sugar burns are extremely painful. DO NOT touch or taste the syrup no matter how tempting it looks. Use a larger pot than you think you need (I used a 3 quart saucier) because the syrup foams up alot. Overspilled sugar will wreak havoc on your stovetop. Ask me how I know.

Maple and honey start boiling. Its water content is still high at this point. Pay attention to its color and the size of bubbles as it cooks off.

240F, “soft ball” stage. Individual bubbles are fairly large, and color has darkened.

300F, “hard crack” stage. I’m a jackass and dropped the thermometer. Tiny bubbles form a tall foam.

Cranberries start popping immdiately. Stir well to coat evenly.

Apples go in a minute later. Notice the amount of juice already given off.

Sorry, I didn’t take a photo of the final product. Use the Force to know when it’s done, you will.

This is a tart, almost chutney-like sauce because the honey and maple syrup have caramelized enough that it loses its sugary character and takes on a darkly roasted caramel flavor. The variety of apple will also affect its sweetness. If you want yours sweeter, add additional maple syrup after the sauce has cooled to room temperature.

If you like a less chunky sauce where all the cranberry skins have popped, try one of these options:

1) Cover the pot while it cooks to retain liquid, and increase your cooking time to 30 minutes or slightly more. The additional time will help break down the cranberry skins until they’ve all popped.
or
2) Cook the sauce uncovered per the instructions, then run the room temperature product briefly through a food processor.

If you try this technique, please come back and comment. I’m still dialing it in and I’d appreciate your feedback.