Mash the highbush cranberries, cover with the water, bring to a boil stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, then strain. Add the remaining ingredients except the sugar and pectin.
Cool and rest overnight in the fridge, or at least for a few hours.
Strain the juice naturally through cheesecloth or a jelly bag, without pressing on it. You should be left with about 4 cups of juice.
Cooking
Put a small stainless steel bowl or plate in the freezer to do set tests. Stainless steel is better as metal conducts differences in temperature faster.
Mix the pectin and sugar. Add the sugar pectin mixture to the juice.
Bring to a rolling boil stirring constantly for the first minute.
Cook until it gets to 225 F, then begin doing set tests. Drop small spoonfuls on a frozen metal surface or plate, watching to see when the mixture barely holds it’s shape. My sweet spot is around 225-230 F.
When the mixture barely holds it's shape beat in the lemon juice or citric acid.
Immediately pour into sterilized jars and process in a water bath.
I process 4 oz jelly jars for 10 minutes. Your processing time will vary depending on the size of your jars.
Notes
Scaling the Recipe
The proportions here are easy to scale. Use 1 teaspoon pectin, and 1 cup sugar for each 1 cup highbush cranberry juice.
Pectin
I use unsweetened apple pectin, but liquid pectin works fine too. Pectins with citric acid in them will help the jelly set.