By suzanne downing 
Readers asked for the recipe for my high-bush cranberry barbecue sauce. There are several out there, but here’s what I use with success, with the exception of “hot” mustard powder (I substitute regular).
- 8 cups of late fall harvested after at least one or two good frosts softened High Bush Cranberry
- 2 cups sugar or 1 1/2 cups honey (I split it 50-50)
- 1 cup of vinegar (If you are water bath canning, if pressure canning, the berries are acid enough, leave it out)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp keens hot mustard powder
- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 2 TSBP onion powder (not salt)
- 2 TBSP Garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1/4 tsp or a pinch of ground cloves
The biggest job is straining out the seeds after you cook the berries enough that they soften and explode. I cook mine outside and then bring them indoors to finish. The result is about eight half-pint jars of barbecue sauce, enough for you and a few friends. Don’t be timid about cooking them down so it’s a thick sauce.
This recipe is perfect for pairing with moose, steak, or fowl. Just marinate to your heart’s content and put the rest on the table for extra zest. The entire recipe and process from start to finish can be found at this website:
Suzanne Downing
Thank you for the recipe. Our BBQ sauce for wild game is Cherry,Chipotle,Jalepeno BBQ sauce. I make two batches a year early and later summer when the fresh cherry’s come to town.
As you stated with the cranberry seeds, the cherry stems and pits are the hard part. You may substitute the cherry’s with blueberry’s. Most people prefer cherry. It is so popular that my large family each request a pint for Christmas. Source I have a case for Christmas stashed away.
Idea for the receipt came from no other than Mr White Keys. In the prelude to his book “The voyage of the Alaska Union”.
This is awesome; I will definitely share with mama-san.
It was a great marinade for sirloin. – sd