A shout out to the cooks out there

[ksmith]

I need to make another batch of this:

4c (about 1 lb) cranberries,
2 cups sugar,
1 cup orange juice,
1 tbsp orange zest, and
2 Anjou or Bosc pears (slightly under ripe, peeled, and diced).

Combine it all in a heavy saucepan, place over medium heat , and boil until
the berries pop open (10-15 minutes). Skim the foam (with a metal spoon)
and let it cool. It's supposed to keep for 2 months in the fridge.
************
I want to add some Grand Marnier to add more depth--this relish is really good, but I want to see if it can be made better--and am wondering how much I can add without ruining the recipe? A few tablespoons? a quarter cup. Half the bottle?

Advice welcome.

Comments

[torrilin.livejournal.com]

Most cooking is pretty flexible about alcohol additions. I'd start out with 1 teaspoon or so, and I'd expect that moving up as high as 1c could work. Note that with higher quantities, you might need to cut the orange juice content (reducing total liquid), increase the sugar content (improves solidifying), or increase the cranberry content (improves solidifying). Recipe alterations tend to be a matter of trial and error. And really, even the less sucessful trials will usually be edible.

Do work with fairly small increments, and if you can do half or quarter batches to test against each other, that will help. I learned more about bread baking, soup making, and chicken roasting from comparing 2 variations against each other than I have out of most solo variations.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wondered how much I could add before it started interfering with the pectin.

I just want an undercurrent, so I'll start with a little bit.