Our family has a sacred recipe for cranberry relish. It's been passed down through generations and is served in a Jello mold. It includes celery, jello, and walnuts. And for the life of me, I can't imagine how it managed to become a staple at holiday dinners, because I don't know anyone in the family who actually LIKES it.
For years, it would be served along side the jellied stuff from Ocean Spray, and most of it would remain untouched (while the jellied kind -- the real stuff that slides out of the can, as we call it in our family) would be entirely consumed. And then -- I don't know exactly when -- I decided to make my own cranberry sauce. It would still look and taste like cranberries, and would actually be EDIBLE. And I discovered that it was surprisingly easy. There are about 500 recipes for homemade cranberry sauce out there, but I'm a purist at heart. No cinnamon, no orange juice, and about as tart as you can stand it.
(Interesting factoid about cranberries: The berries have an edible waxy coating on them. When they're covered in water, the coating dissolves, and the berries need to processed within 24 hours to prevent spoiling. All berries sold fresh must be handpicked. This is why most cranberries are sold as sauce or juice, and why fresh berries are pricey and only available at certain times of the year.)
Ingredient List
1 12 oz bag raw cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Over medium heat, dissolve the sugar into the water and add the berries. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking another 6-8 minutes, or until the berries have mostly popped. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to thicken as it cools.
And that's all there is to it! Cranberry sauce doesn't spoil easily, so it'll last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. It's great as a spread in leftover turkey sandwiches.
Bon appetite!
Tags: Cranberries, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free
For years, it would be served along side the jellied stuff from Ocean Spray, and most of it would remain untouched (while the jellied kind -- the real stuff that slides out of the can, as we call it in our family) would be entirely consumed. And then -- I don't know exactly when -- I decided to make my own cranberry sauce. It would still look and taste like cranberries, and would actually be EDIBLE. And I discovered that it was surprisingly easy. There are about 500 recipes for homemade cranberry sauce out there, but I'm a purist at heart. No cinnamon, no orange juice, and about as tart as you can stand it.
(Interesting factoid about cranberries: The berries have an edible waxy coating on them. When they're covered in water, the coating dissolves, and the berries need to processed within 24 hours to prevent spoiling. All berries sold fresh must be handpicked. This is why most cranberries are sold as sauce or juice, and why fresh berries are pricey and only available at certain times of the year.)
Ingredient List
1 12 oz bag raw cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Over medium heat, dissolve the sugar into the water and add the berries. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking another 6-8 minutes, or until the berries have mostly popped. Remove from heat and allow the sauce to thicken as it cools.
And that's all there is to it! Cranberry sauce doesn't spoil easily, so it'll last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. It's great as a spread in leftover turkey sandwiches.
Bon appetite!
Tags: Cranberries, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free