Highbush Cranberry Jam

Father's Day. Travis called. Amber called. Clay called from Harlan. I went up to Earl's grave in the morning. Took a beer. Did not say much.

I went up to Earl's grave at the Evarts cemetery Saturday. Brought a beer. Drank half. Poured the rest on the dirt. Some traditions are mine alone.

I checked the truck oil Saturday. The mileage on this truck is criminal.

The neighbor up the road — Old Roy, eighty-seven, lives alone — had a small heart scare. We took him soup beans Tuesday. Cornbread too. He cried a little when he ate. We all cry over soup beans eventually.

Connie read aloud from a novel Tuesday evening while I worked on the bench. Some Appalachian writer she had picked up at the library in Whitesburg. The voice was the voice of where we live. We listened together.

I sat at the kitchen table Tuesday night working on the recipe project. Mama's soup beans. I cannot get the words right yet.

Drove the truck to the dump Saturday afternoon. Saw three deer crossing the road on the way back. The mountains have been giving back this year.

The creek was running clear Sunday afternoon. I watched a kingfisher work the riffle. Did not move for an hour. Some Sundays the watching is the worship.

Sunday service at Harlan First Baptist when we go. Pastor preached about Ruth and Boaz. The choir sang. Connie wore her gray dress.

Connie made jam Saturday afternoon. Wild blackberries from the patch up the hollow. Twelve jars. The pantry is filling for winter.

Worked on a basement remodel job in Lexington. The work was good. The pay was good. The body is tired.

Read the paper at breakfast Tuesday. The county news is not great. The mines have not come back and they will not come back. The young people leave. The hollows empty. We stay.

Amber sent the kids' school photos this week. Nadia is taller every year. Marcus has Amber's serious face. Little Betty has Mama's eyes.

Travis sent a photo of Earl Thomas riding on the mower with him at a job site. The boy is wearing a Hensley Landscaping T-shirt that's too big. Three generations on a mower. I saved the photo.

I split a half-cord of wood Saturday. Slowly. The back does not let me work fast anymore. It got done. The wood was for the smokehouse.

Drove to Pineville for parts Wednesday. The hardware store man knew me. We talked about the weather and the price of feed. Forty minutes for a five-minute errand. That is rural Kentucky.

My back was tight after the wood-splitting Saturday. Took an Aleve. Slept eight hours. Got up.

I sat on the porch with bourbon at sundown Friday. The fog rolled into the hollow the way it has every fog of every year. The porch was the porch. The bourbon was the bourbon.

Connie cut my hair on the porch Tuesday afternoon. She has been cutting my hair for forty years. The barber in Pineville cannot do what Connie does, which is also love.

The dog — old Beau, fifteen years old — slept by the wood stove all afternoon Tuesday. He used to be a hunting dog. Now he is a heating pad with opinions.

Connie put up twelve jars of wild blackberry jam this week — the patch up the hollow gave a good run this year — and watching that pantry shelf fill reminded me why I wanted to add this Highbush Cranberry Jam to the project. It’s the same impulse: something from the land, something put away, something that says we were here and we were ready. The mountains have been giving back this year, and we have been doing our part to receive it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4 half-pint jars (about 32 servings)

Ingredients

4 cups highbush cranberries, stems removed and rinsed
1/2 cup water
1 package (1.75 oz) powdered fruit pectin
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon butter (optional, to reduce foam)

Instructions

Prepare jars. Sterilize four half-pint canning jars and lids in boiling water. Keep warm until ready to fill.
Cook the berries. Combine highbush cranberries and water in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until berries have softened and burst, about 8–10 minutes.
Strain. Press the cooked berries through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill into a bowl, discarding skins and seeds. You should have about 2 cups of strained juice and pulp.
Add pectin. Return the strained pulp to the saucepan. Stir in lemon juice and powdered pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add sugar. Add all the sugar at once, stirring to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add butter if using. Skim foam from the surface.
Jar the jam. Ladle hot jam into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims clean, apply lids and bands fingertip-tight.
Process. Process jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool undisturbed on a towel-lined counter for 12–24 hours. Check seals before storing in a cool, dark place.

Nutrition (per serving, approximately 2 tablespoons)

Highbush Cranberry Jam — Filling the Pantry Before the Hollow Goes Cold