Jam

Cranberries make a traditional breakfast spread festive and seasonal.

As with all jams and jellies, make a small batch as indicated here, so that it cooks well and thoroughly for the short time indicated, preserving the pure flavor of the berries.

A wonderful topping for crepes or for vanilla ice cream.

Present this delightful tart-sweet spread in a glass jar that has been encircled with a ribbon. For a nice touch, tie a spoon into the bow. If you want to omit the canning process, go ahead. The preserves can be stored in the refrigerator up to one month.

Served with poppy seed scones at Sarabeth's Restaurant in New York.

Be sure to use powdered fruit pectin in this recipe — don't substitute liquid pectin or a low-sugar variety. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 45 min (includes chilling)

This jam is perfect with roast chicken, pork, or lamb. It's also good with cheese and crackers. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

Serve with: Steaks, burgers, sausages, pork, duck, or salmon. Combine with: Sautéed greens (such as escarole). Use as: A topping for thin-crust pizza sprinkled with Gorgonzola.

This recipe is likely to work well with other cane berries such as blackberries and marionberries.

This recipe has a small yield, so it's not necessary to sterilize and process the jars if you plan on keeping the marmalade in the refrigerator and eating it within a few weeks. But if you want to make larger batches, process the jars. Active time: 40 minutes Start to finish: 1 day

We've given a range on the amount of sugar in this recipe because some berries are sweeter than others. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 40 min

Spooning this conserve over yogurt makes a light, sweet summer dessert.