Fresh Cranberry Sauce
This is my version of cranberry sauce that I always bring to my mother’s house every Thanksgiving (and now that the torch has been passed to me it’ll be gracing my dining table from now on). While the basic Ocean Spray recipe will do I like to add my own touch and this is what I came up with. There is usually not much leftover so sometimes I make a second batch for Black Friday turkey and cranberry
Ingredients
- 2 bags cranberries, save 1 cup whole
- 1cup sugar, additional if needed *
- 1/2cup red wine
- 1/4cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 long slivers orange rind
- 1/4teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the cranberries and the next six ingredients (through orange rind) in a saucepan combining well. Cook mixture over low heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pulse the reserved 1 cup of cranberries in food processor or small blender.
- Add the chopped cranberries to the cranberry mixture. Increase heat to medium-low and cook an additional 3-5 minutes until cranberries pop and mixture thickens. Add in salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust for sugar if needed. Remove from heat and cool. Remove the orange rind strips and cinnamon sticks.
- Serve at room temperature or put in refrigerator to chill (best if made the night before).
Recipe Notes
*I am not a big fan of refined sugar and try to finds ways to substitute a healthier option if I can. I like to use coconut sugar in this recipe instead of white sugar. It’s a milder flavor to a brown sugar, but the cinnamon and orange influence can carry the more caramel-like coconut sugar. Feel free to try this option if you want a white sugar alternative.
**I prefer to use a lighter red (like a Beaujolais) for this recipe which tends to be fruitier and not so heavy in tannins.
Substitute the wine with water if you don’t care for wine in your recipe.
Try folding in chopped walnuts or pecans to the cranberry sauce after it has cooled. Fun crunch and sneaky way to add in good fats!
