If you are planning to can the cranberry sauce, prepare your water-bath canner, four pint jars and lids.
Tie cinnamon sticks and cloves in cheesecloth to make a spice bag.
Combine sugar, water and spice bag in a large, deep stock pot and bring to a boil. stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Boil sugar syrup for five minutes.
Add cranberries, orange zest, ginger and liqueur (if using) and return to a boil.
Reduce heat and boil gently until the cranberries have split and the liquid begins to thicken, about fifteen minutes. (Do not worry if the sauce is still very liquid at this point. Cranberries are high in pectin and the sauce will take on a more gelled consistency once it cools.)
If canning the sauce for shelf-stability, ladle the sauce into the hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace.
Be sure to bubble the jars and wipe the rims clean.
Place a warm lid on each jar and tighten ring just until you feel resistance.
Process jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
Turn off heat, remove lid and allow jars to sit in water an additional five minutes.
Remove jars from water.
Ensure that lids have sealed. Refrigerate any unsealed jars.
If you are not processing the sauce for shelf-stability, you can simply allow the sauce to cool and ladle it into four clean pint jars and store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Makes four pints
Recipe by West of the Loop at https://www.westoftheloop.com/2014/11/23/homemade-cranberry-sauce/