Pickled cranberries

I had dinner out at a fancy restaurant the other night--more on that later--and one of the things we ate was duck with pickled cranberries. The pickled cranberries were so awesome I decided to make some for myself.

Makes 1 large jar.

12 oz cranberries

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup apple cider or applejack

5-6 cloves

1/4 teaspoon whole allspice (I used ground)

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger (I used ground)

Combine all of the ingredients with 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Pour the pickled cranberries into decorative glass jars or plastic containers. Cover with the remaining liquid and attach lids. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. They get better the longer you keep them.