(Do forgive the pun in this post’s title. It is honestly taking every ounce of strength I possess to not merely type “CRANBERRY SAUCE” over and over, for each and every post.)
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This is a great time of year to delve into all things cranberry.
You probably already know cranberries are little powerhouses of:
vitamins,
antioxidants,
phyto-nutrients
even fiber.
I hope you'll try this recipe. This quick and dirty cranberry sauce that only takes about 10 minutes to make and tastes 100 times better than canned sauce.
You can leave out the Grand Marnier, but if you do, you'll want more orange flavor in your sauce. You can get that by using a bit more of the orange juice concentrate.
It's always a sticky matter to finely dice crystallized ginger cubes. If you have a very sturdy metal garlic press (not plastic, as it tends to hold odors), try pressing the crystallized ginger cubes through your press. Otherwise, use a very sharp knife and pour hot water over the blade before you start chopping.
If you don't have any crystallized ginger, you can substitute fresh ginger. Since ginger varies wildly in taste and heat, start with a ½ teaspoon and add more to suit your taste. Peel the ginger and press a small piece through your garlic press.
Cranberry Sauce
1 12-oz. package fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup canned orange juice concentrate, thawed and stirred
2/3 cup water
4 cubes crystallized ginger
¼ cup Grand Marnier
In a large saucepan, dissolve the sugar into the concentrate and water. Cook on medium until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and cook on medium about 10 minutes, until you see and hear the berries pop.
Not all the berries will pop, and that's fine. If you want them all smushed but some are being stubborn and staying whole, you can press them against the side of the pan with your spoon.
Popping the berries is my favorite part! Kids enjoy that as well.
Add the Grand Marnier, simmer for a few minutes more. Taste the sauce, add more sugar and ginger if necessary. Cook until it gets that nice thick, shiny cranberry sauce look.
Let the sauce cool and place in a pretty clear glass bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, store in fridge.
If you're not planning on making your own sauce, you can easily tart up canned cranberry sauce. Make it a couple days prior to Thanksgiving and store it in the fridge for the flavors to meld.
Pour the cranberry sauce in a pan on medium low heat. When the sauce is warm, add one (or more) of these items:
2 - 3 tablespoons of orange marmalade
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 diced apple
1 diced pear
¼ cup Port wine
¼ pomegranate juice
¼ cup apple juice
¼ cup toasted pecans or walnuts
