Ingredients
2 bags (12 oz each) Cranberries
Sugar and or Splenda to taste (normally 1 to 2 cups of either)
1 medium or large pot



Cooking Instructions

Step 1 - Get your cranberries There are very few places to pick your own, but happily, they store and transport well, so there probably isn't much difference. Most grocery stores sell the 12 oz bags. Look for firm berries with a dark color.

Step 2- Wash the cranberries Pour them in to a large bowl of cold water, and swirl them around, scoop them out with your fingers, feeling for any mushy berries, as you scoop. Discard any mushy, soft berries.

Step 3 - Start the cranberries cooking They take longer than the apples, so put 2 inches of water (or cranberry or apple juice) in a pot, get it boiling and pour the cranberries in. Let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice (you'll hear the berries popping, as the berries cook - you'll kids will get a kick out of that). Once half the berries are popped and the sauce feels mushy, it's done! It should take 10 to 15 minutes of cooking over medium-high heat.

Step 4 - Sweeten the cranberry sauce Turn off the heat. Add sugar to taste. Start out with 1 cup of sugar or Splenda, as you prefer. Taste and add more if it is still too tart. Of course, you can use other sweeteners, such as honey, or even frozen concentrated fruit juice (like grape).If you don't plan to can any, you're done! Just serve warm or cold! If you want to can for later, continue through to steps 5 and 6.The cranberry sauce does not need any further cooking; just keep it hot until you get enough made to fill the jars you will put into the canner (Canners hold seven jars at once, whether they are quart or pint size)