If you’re like me, your earliest memory of cranberries has something to do with a gelatinous red cylinder of goop that your parents ate with their turkey on Thanksgiving Day. It was oddly bitter and tart, and for the life of me I never could figure out the appeal to any adult, let alone a child; still can’t. So I have a goal!
If there is anyone out there, within cyber reach of my little posting fingers, that still finds themselves opening a can of jellied cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner, I’m going to do all I can to convince you to stop! Please, for the love of all things…there is a better way! I invite you to come on a journey with me to a land of fruity deliciousness, which just may change every preconceived notion you have about one of the oldest Thanksgiving dinner traditions on the books.
The journey starts with my favorite twist on this classic sauce. I came up with this recipe several years ago while experimenting with different cranberry flavor combinations. I made it the first Thanksgiving after I got married and my previous ‘cranberry-sauce-hater’ of a husband, fell instantly in love. Now it’s a yearly must-have at our Thanksgiving table.
Cranberry Orange Sauce
(Mindika Original Recipe)
1 C. orange juice
1 C. white granulated sugar
¼ C. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
¼ t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves
Zest of 1 orange
½ t. orange extract
pinch of salt
1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz. or about 4 C.)
1. In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat combine the all ingredients except the cranberries, and bring to a boil.
2. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until berries burst and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and allow to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before chilling in the refrigerator.
4. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
(Mindika Original Recipe)
1 C. orange juice
1 C. white granulated sugar
¼ C. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
¼ t. nutmeg
1/8 t. cloves
Zest of 1 orange
½ t. orange extract
pinch of salt
1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz. or about 4 C.)
1. In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat combine the all ingredients except the cranberries, and bring to a boil.
2. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until berries burst and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and allow to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before chilling in the refrigerator.
4. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
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Next stop on our cranberry adventure…is a bit of an adventure itself. The combination of ingredients may surprise you, but you’re going to have to trust me. This sauce graces the Thanksgiving table at my sister’s house each year and as a side note, makes the most excellent condiment on a left over Turkey sandwich!!
Honey-Lemon Cranberry Sauce with Rosemary
(Recipe from Cuisine at Home)
½ C. honey
½ C. sugar
½ C. fresh lemon juice
¼ C. water
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
pinch of salt
1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz. or about 4 C.)
1. In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat combine all the ingredients except the cranberries, and bring to a boil.
2. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until berries burst and sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove the rosemary.
3. Take off the heat and allow to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before chilling in the refrigerator.
4. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
*I take left over cranberry sauce and freeze it in ice cube trays. Once frozen I put them into a large freezer bag and pull out individual serving sizes for sandwiches and/or later meat condiments.
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Final stop on our flavor train…a kid friendly cranberry creation. I think most kids find cranberries just too darn tart. I also think their little pallets haven’t quite figured out that sweet and savory can be a yummy combination. This sauce has a solution for both those dilemmas. First the apples counter the sour just enough to please the taste bud of most little tongues. Second, this sauce can be served all by itself, sans the turkey. Almost like a little dessert or side dish. And…did I mention it’s super delish on ice-cream. And…yes there’s more…for the adults, this sauce is good on grilled chicken, pork tenderloin, or fried chops. In other words, it has a year round application.
Cranberry Apple Sauce
(Mindika Original Recipe)
½ C. apple juice
¼ C. water
½ C. white granulated sugar
½ C. light brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground fresh ginger (or ½ t. dried)½ t. orange extract
Pinch of salt
2 C. fresh cranberries
2 C. apples, diced (Use your favorite variety. I like a mix of granny smith and gala.)
1. In a large sauce pan over medium-high combine the all ingredients except the cranberries and apples; bring to a boil.
2. Add the cranberries and apples, return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until berries burst, apples soften, and sauce thickens; about 10 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and allow to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before chilling in the refrigerator.
4. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
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And so we come to the end of our journey of fruity deliciousness. I hope I’ve met my goal in convincing at least a few foodie friends out there to abandon the traditional cranberry jelly and try something new. I promise you won’t be sorry!
Thanks for coming along. If you like these recipes and want to see more…visit me at htt://mindikamoments.blogspot.com!
my mom LOVES cranberry sauce, i'm pretty sure she's the only one that eats it at our house. i think i might surprise her this year with one of these. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletedown with the can-shaped cranberry goop!
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