Cranberry syrup and conserves

Now that we have the SodaStream soda machine, we can make all sorts of soft drinks you'll never find in the supermarket. Up to now, I've made small batches, but today I decided to stock up on the goodness of cranberry.

Starting with four 12-ounce bags, I added 18 cups (about 8 lbs.) of sugar and 6 cups of water and brought the mixture to a boil. After simmering for about 15 minutes, the fruit was soft and the syrup was a rich red. The strained fruit filled 4 pint jars (topped off with syrup), with a half pint extra, and the syrup filled a quart jar and 4 pints, with an extra half pint for several rounds of tasting, oohing and aahing.

The jars were processed for 20 minutes in a water bath. Total cost: $15.50.