Your best cranberry sauce recipe please

[galka]

Just picked a bag of these gorgeous wild cranberries and want to make it really special for this year's Thanksgiving. What is your best recipe?

[starkoch]

Cook one pound of the cranberries with a cup of sugar and half a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice until they start to pop.
I then divide the cranberries in half and to one half I add about half a tablespoon of thyme and half a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary and some pepper jelly. Just keep adding the pepper jelly to your taste. My family likes it spicy.
You can also add some orange zest if you like.

To the other half add fresh orange segments.

Two flavors from one bag of berries.

koko
www.kokoscorner.typepad.com

[serious]

Have you all forgotten the wonderful kumquat? Sliced thin in your favorite recipe, it's delicious.

[nickblesch]

If you're cooking the sauce, I've found that a small amount of cognac goes well with any recipe that includes vanilla, and that some Grand Marnier serves the same purpose in any recipe with orange juice/zest/etc.

[Amuse Bouches]

My FIL makes a great recipe with walnut halves and canned mandarin oranges, and I tweaked it last year and it was pretty fabulous:

12 oz. cranberries, 1.5 c sugar, 3 clementines, separated into wedges pith removed (honestly in hindsight I think canned ones would be fine because removing the pith is a PITA), 1 c. pecan halves, 1/2 tsp. allspice, and 1/4 c. grand marnier. Cook over med. heat until all cranberries have popped. Add more liqueur to taste.

[ElleD]

1 bag (16oz) cranberries, 1 can white grape juice concentrate (12 oz). Simmer on stove until thickened.

I make this every fall and add ripe bananas to make my Grandmother's Cranberry Banana Jam. Nothing like it! Yumm!

[molly]

A Second Choice
The very easiest and healthiest delicious recipe is based on Martha Stewart's. Take clean raw cranberries ( use organic) and a whole orange with skin washed (also organic) and put in food processor or blender. Add the least amount of sugar for your taste. Can also add stevia or sucalose if you are diabetic. Let stand for at least two days in the refrigerator. This is great on leftover turkey sandwiches.
I also serve the loaded whole berry cranberry recipe with walnuts/pecan, golden raisins steeped in brandy, clementine slices and bits of orange peel.
Let folks take their choice. Most take both but the day after prefer this one.

[Michelle]

Hello,

I have 2 favorites and will be making both this year:

1. This is a little unusual since it is baked in the oven. Use 2 C. cranberries and 1 C. brown sugar. Place the cranberries in a 9 inch square pan, sprinkle with the sugar, cover and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30-40 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. I made this for the first time last year and it was so easy, it sets up very well and is a gorgeous ruby red color. as well as being delicious!

2. This is a raw relish. Finely chop or grind 1 bag cranberries, 1 apple (cored first), 1 orange (peeled first), and mix together. Add approximately 1 C sugar (or to taste) and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. This one's a family favorite, I usually double the recipe.

[pondrat]

I've used this Cranberry-Zinfandel recipe the past 6 years with rave reviews. I've also converted it into a spicy holiday jam recipe by adding chopped jalapeno, walnuts and some pectin.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[jackie de]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/279786
Try Candy's recipe. I've made cranberry sauce for years and this is by far the best. Also very easy.

[dkenworthy]

I used to try a different "fancy" cranberry sauce each year. My mother and I are the only ones who like it, anyway. But a few years ago I tried the Cook's Illustrated "pure" cranberry sauce, and have never gone back. I don't know how it can taste so good with so few ingredients, but I love it.

3/4 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

Bring water, sugar, and salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.Stir in cranberries; return to boil.Reduce heat to medium; simmer until saucy, slightly thickened, and about two-thirds of berries have popped open, about 5 minutes.Cool to room temp and serve or refrigerate up to 1 week. Bring to room temp 30 minutes before serving.

[serious]

Has anyone tried the roasted cranberry recipe in current issue of Saveur? It looks delicioius and it's the very first I've ever seen that doesn't involve the 'boil.'

[FoodChic]

Cranberry Relish

This is so simple, but has such an amazing tart fresh flavor. It must be made at least a week ahead so it's great for holiday preplanning.

1 bag cranberries
1 large granny smith apple sliced with skin and cored
1 large navel orange including rind quartered
3/4 cup sugar

Chop cranberries in food processer until minced but not pureed. Chop apple and orange
to same minced consistance and add to cranberry mixture and mix with sugar until completely combined. Let sit in refrigerator for at least a week for the sugar to absorb.

[geminigirl]

I know this isn't what you asked for, don't have my recipie handy at the moment, but I made this cranberry vodka last year and it was dliecious! I've been waiting for the cranberries to return!

http://www.guntheranderson.com/liqueu...

[valerie]

I tried this one last year after seeing it recommended on this board. It was excellent! So good that I have been thinking about it all year.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[SSqwerty]

I've been making this one for years, though I cut the sugar back to one cup in total. I wouldn't dream of making anything else. And the bonus is that you can make it up to a month beforehand (along with your turkey stock) and freeze it:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[JoanN]

Cranberry relish has been a standard in my family for decades and I wouldn't dare not serve it. But I decided to try this Spiced Sauce with Zinfandel in addition this year. It's just now cooling, but I think I'm going to love it. Thanks, especially, for the tip on reducing the sugar. I did as you suggested and am sure that using the full amount would have made it too sweet for me. After all, it's the tartness that is part of the essence of cranberries.

[janniecooks]

I prefer well-cooked cranberry sauce. I usually make spiced cranberries, but last year having read raves of the cranberry sauce with cherries, marsala and rosemary on this board I threw tradition out the door and tried it. Feh...not nearly as good as spiced cranberries, the sauce was muddy-looking and brown-red from the cherries, not attractive. Here is my recipe for spiced cranberries:

4 cups fresh cranberries
2 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of ground ginger

Wash dranberries and drain; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add cranberries, cook for 7 to 10 inutes or until cranberry skins pop. Reduce heat, and simmer one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool. Chill until ready to serve. Yields 2 cups.

While the ingredients are few and the recipe is simple, these cranberries are really festive - beautiful claret color, especially lovely in a crystal bowl, with a wonderful christmasy-holiday-spice flavor, and after thanksgiving is over, they are terrific as a flavoring for plain yogurt in the morning! These spiced cranberries have converted cranberry-sauce haters.

[ChesterhillGirl]

I have two extremely nice cranberry sauce recipes. Here's one of them, and I'll look for the other--I couldn't find it stored on this computer. This chutney is easy to make.

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

* Orange rind, grated, approximately 1 teaspoon
* 1/3 cup orange juice
* 16 oz fresh cranberries, washed
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 cup mixed raisins
* 1/2 cup peeled, cored and sliced apples
* 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon allspice
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

1. Bring orange juice and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, then continue heating until it reaches a boil again.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all ingredients are soft.
4. Pour into a bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap over the mixture.
5. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight.
6. To be served at room temperature.

[viperlush]

Good recipe, I really enjoyed it.

I decided to do a test run of this recipe with a roast chicken last night. I cubed the apple instead of slicing, used a cinnamon stick instead of ground, tangerine juice/peel instead of orange and added nutmeg. This morning I added the chutney to my oatmeal and will probably put it on a chicken sandwich for lunch.

[ChesterhillGirl]

Thank you for trying my recipe and letting us know you enjoyed it. There are several good recipes on this thread, and I'm going to freeze some bags of cranberries to try at other times of the year.

[Chocolatechipkt]

Cranberry-Orange Sauce
2 c brown sugar (plus more for adjusting)
3 c water
1 c freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
zest of the oranges
3 12 oz bags of cranberries
1 Tbs or so freshly grated ginger

Wash cranberries and check them for stems and/or mushy berries. Combine brown sugar, water, orange juice, and zest in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. When boiling, add the cranberries and return to a boil; they will start to pop open. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10-15 min., til they start to thicken. Carefully test sauce for sweet/tartness and add more sugar as necessary (depending on how you like it). Let cool completely and then refrigerate.

[Rubee]

Ever since FunwithFood raved about this cranberry sauce, I've been making it every year. I've tried many recipes, but this is my all-time favorite.

Cranberry Sauce with Cherries, Marsala and Rosemary
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[EmmaToo]

This sounds fabulous. I'm going to try it out this Thanksgiving.

[DaisyM]

I made it last year and it was AMAZING. I couldn't stop eating it.

[jenwee]

12 ounces cranberries
1 cup white sugar
1 cup orange juice

then i toss in some orange zest. Yum.

[Kate is always hungry]

I make mine according to the recipe on the bag but add chunks of a tart green apple, a cinnamon stick, a few whole cloves, and the zest of one orange. I take out the cinnamon stick and the cloves before serving.

[Val]

There are SO many great recipes that show up on this board every year..I keep saying I'm going to try a different one but we just keep loving Cabernet Cranberries:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/rec...

[Nyleve]

This is our favourite now. I don't add the cinnamon stick anymore though - there were objections from the peanut gallery. And you really don't have to especially use cabernet, either. I just use whatever red wine happens to be open and it's always delicious. The cranberries really drown out any subtlety of a specific wine anyway.

[Val]

I really love the tangerine zest in it, too; I think that's why I love it, aside from removing the cinnamon stick and sucking the cranberry sauce off it before discarding.<guilty pleasure> But I also love ginger so I need to try one of the cranberry-ginger recipes here, too.

[Chocolatechipkt]

Thanks for posting this! I made this recipe tonight, and it's delicious. I decided we're going to have two kinds of cranberry sauce this year -- why not? So we're having this one and my usual cran-orange-ginger sauce. Yum.

[Claudette]

Throw clean, raw cranberries, orange or tangerine, a few slices of candied ginger, and sugar to taste, into a food processor and puree until chunky-smooth. Very simple and refreshing, especially if you don't add too much sugar.

[oakjoan]

I love this raw cranberry relish and make it every year. Mine uses the whole orange (after pips removed of course). It's really wonderful and refreshing in addition to being simple and quick.