Cranberry Syrup

A two-line formula for whole cranberries preserved in heavy syrup — closer to a compote than to what we now call syrup. The instructions leave the quantity of fruit to the cook, so treat the sugar and water as the fixed part.

• The measurementsA pint each means by volume: 2 cups water and 2 cups granulated sugar, the latter weighing roughly 14 oz. That is a heavy syrup, 1:1 by volume, and the high sugar concentration is likely what helps the berries hold their shape rather than collapsing into sauce.
• How much fruitThe original gives no amount. A 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries, about 3 cups, is comfortably covered by that quantity of syrup and leaves enough liquid to bottle afterwards.
• The hinge: keep it at a bare simmerCranberry skins split readily once the liquid is hot. If the syrup is at a rolling boil when the fruit goes in, the skins burst and you get sauce. Bring the sugar and water to a boil to dissolve, then drop the heat until the surface barely moves before adding the berries.
• "Until clear and tender"That is the visual cue, and it will usually take only a few minutes. The white opaque interior of the berry turns translucent as syrup penetrates it. Berries that go on cooking past that point slump and cloud the syrup.
• Uncooked, whole berriesUse firm fresh fruit and sort out any that are soft or shrivelled — they break down first and muddy the batch. Frozen cranberries work but should go in still frozen, as thawed ones are already ruptured.
• Yield and keepingExpect several cups of finished fruit and syrup. This is a refrigerator preserve as written, good for two or three weeks in a covered jar; the recipe gives no processing instructions, so do not treat it as shelf stable.
• ServingA likely use was as a sweet relish beside roast poultry or game, or spooned over rice pudding and plain cake. The strained syrup on its own is worth keeping for soda water and cocktails.