Cranberry Orange Butter

3 (12oz.) bags of cranberries (can use frozen)
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
Zested peel of 2 oranges
Zested peel of 1 1/2 lemons
4 1/2 cups sugar

In an 8-quart pan, combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange & lemon zest.

Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until all of the skins pop and the cranberries are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove the pan from the heat.

Press the cranberries and juice through a food mill or fine meshed sieve (food mill is highly recommended!). Discard the skins and seeds. Rinse and dry the pan. Return the cranberry pulp to the pan. Stir in the sugar.

Over medium-low heat, heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer until thick, about 15 minutes. As the butter thickens, stir constantly to prevent sticking or scorching. Remove the pan from the heat. Skim off any foam (although you're unlikely to have any).

Ladle the hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings. Process half-pint jars in a 200F (93C) water bath for 10 minutes, pint sized jars for 15 minutes.

*A trick with butters. You can test if the butter is done by spooning a small amount on a plate and if the juice separates from the pulp it needs more cooking time. Butters will hold when they're done.