Cranberry sauce

[KateW]

Well I bet there is another thread on this but I did a search here and came up with 4,000 results. Yikes. Please point me in the right direction if there is such a thread.

Anyway, I was watching Alton Brown on TV last week or so and he made a cranberry sauce almost exactly the way my mom, and therefore I, do; he takes whole cranberries and simmers them in a bunch of good stuff, and he adds ginger ale, which I was not familiar with. But I digress.

Then he took the whole beautiful thing and pureed it. I was surprised by this. It seemed to turn out pretty soupy in the end. Does anyone besides me enjoy cranberry sauce with whole cranberries? What do you like to put in it?

[fifi]

We always have the classic with the whole cranberries and oranges. There are a gazillion recipes out there. I like the ginger idea. That sounds really good. In fact that sounds so good, I might consider scraping some fresh ginger and adding to taste.

When my dad was alive, he had to have the quivering blob from the can so we had that, too.

[Katherine]

Cranberries, sugar, and a little water. Nothing else, as long as you want to call it cranberry sauce.

I've also made cranberry relish, chutney, etc, but they're not cranberry sauce.

Did he chill his? It should have set up when it got cold, if he didn't dilute it too much.

[tryska]

Did he chill his? It should have set up when it got cold, if he didn't dilute it too much.

hey..then he could have stuck it in a spare can, and called it "cranberry sauce" and everyone would be happy.

[TrishCT]

I love a hybrid-Cranberry Applesauce....

2 Cups cranberries to 2 Cups apples (plus sugar and water). After it cools it sets up nicely.

[KateW]

He did not chill it. I just looked up the recipe online and it is called a "dipping sauce", meant to be served alongside the meal in individual ramekins. Interesting. The link is here, if anyone is interested.

I was just thinking, after reading your comments about ginger, that it might make more sense to add fresh ginger, and replace the lost volume with more orange juice or even water, since the ginger ale doesnt really add much to the sauce that some fresh ginger couldn't do better, does it?

[FoodMan]

I did his "dipping sauce" last year, and just like it sounds it is a dipping sauce bestsuited to be served in individual ramekins along side the turkey. Although it tasted good, two things I did not like about it:

1- After pureeing it the tough cranberry skins stay in the sauce whole and are a pain in the neck and not very tasty so I had to strain them out.

2- It WAS too soupy, I prefer a chunkier sauce.

So this year I will follow a a similar recipe but add less liquid and I will not puree it.

Elie

[fifi]

Here is Emeril's recipe for cranberry sauce. It is very similar to what we make if you drop the port and cinnamon. (However that does sound pretty good.)

I agree that the ginger ale probably wouldn't add enough ginger. I think I will try the fresh and go with the orange juice.

[dls]

Most of the recipes referred to contain elements of a cranberry recipe that I've used for years with very favorable results.

Simmer 1 C port for 10 min. Add 6 cups fresh cranberries and stir until all have popped - about 5 min. Add 1 C sugar, 3 T minced shallots, 2 T minced ginger, 2 T grated orange zest, 1 T grated lemon zest, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t cardoman, and 1/4 t salt. Stir until mixture dissolves and mixture returns to simmer - about 5 min. remove from heat, set aside and allow to come to room temp.

[fifi]

Oh my that sounds good, dls. Can I assume you are using a ruby port?

[Jaymes]

The above reference to port reminds me of what I do when I am at someone's house that insists upon the canned sauce.

I stir into it about 3 T port; and either 1 T frozen OJ concentrate and some orange zest; or about 2 T orange marmalade.

Really perks it up.

Or sometimes, a little Grand Marnier.

Any of these things helps improve the flavor of that canned sauce, but doesn't change it so much that determined aficionados complain.

[dls]

Fifi - I use ruby port. As an aside, I made a batch last night to freeze and take to my house in FL for Thanksgiving (primary res. is Chgo). I just realized that the port used was an 85 Fonseca VP. A bit extravagent for a cranberry dish but it was all that I had on hand.

[Sweet Willie]

Does anyone besides me enjoy cranberry sauce with whole cranberries?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!!!!

I LOVE just plain cranberry sauce, no oranges, no nuts, just the berries and sauce PLEASE.

[Jaymes]

Does anyone besides me enjoy cranberry sauce with whole cranberries?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!!!!

Me, too. I always use whole berries in my cranberry sauces. Even when circumstances dictate that I buy the canned sauce to "doctor up," I go with the "whole berry" variety. I much prefer the texture and flavor of the whole berry varieties.

[Schneier]

I always cook mine with just sugar and water.

[Cusina]

I'm with Trish, like a cranberry applesauce blend. Port and cinnamon? Now that has potential too.

[itch22]

I use whole cranberries, and add orange zest and ruby port.

[KatieLoeb]

The above reference to port reminds me of what I do when I am at someone's house that insists upon the canned sauce.

I stir into it about 3 T port; and either 1 T frozen OJ concentrate and some orange zest; or about 2 T orange marmalade.

Really perks it up.

Or sometimes, a little Grand Marnier. 

Any of these things helps improve the flavor of that canned sauce, but doesn't change it so much that determined aficionados complain.

Jaymes:

Great minds think alike. I make two different cranberry sauces for the holidays. One is basically the recipe off the back of the bag, but with the zest of one whole orange microplaned in, plus the orange segments (with pith sliced off) whirled around in the food processor. I will occasionally add a bit of unflavored gelatin just so I know it will set up nicely. And a healthy splash of Grand Marnier at the end is de rigeur .

The other variety is a cranberry-jalapeno relish recipe that I swiped off of This Site and goes particularly well with the deep fried turkey that my friends serve every year. Alas, this year they have other familial obligations, so I'll be dining with other dear friends and not making any cranberry sauces/chutneys/relishes. I'm making a Pumpkin Flan for dessert instead.

[bergerka]

A friend gave me a recipe for cranberry sauce with port wine and figs that is so incredibly delicious I had ZERO leftovers last year (made it for Xmas with the family in AZ. I won't be making it for Thanksgiving, because slkinsey would bitch).

But I CAN'T FIND THE FREAKING RECIPE!

K

[KateW]

And a healthy splash of Grand Marnier at the end is de rigeur .

Am I the only one who has to put the cursor over every underlined word, just in case it's a link? Mmm, Grand Marnier.

[Jaymes]

A friend gave me a recipe for cranberry sauce with port wine and figs that is so incredibly delicious I had ZERO leftovers last year (made it for Xmas with the family in AZ. I won't be making it for Thanksgiving, because slkinsey would bitch).

But I CAN'T FIND THE FREAKING RECIPE!

K

Well for goodness sake, call that friend and get it! I, for one, would love to try it. It sounds spectacular.

[SobaAddict70]

I heard somewhere that you can mix a bit of horseradish with cranberry sauce. (I'm not making this up.) I'd say, add a smidge for that mysterious hint of flavor.

Soba

[mudbug]

Here's one from Tyler Florence Fresh Cranberry Relish and the cranberries aren't even cooked!

Couldn't be more fresh and simple!

[bilrus]

What would people think about the simple combination of cranberries and oranges but using some maple syrup in place of the sugar?

[elion_84]

My local paper (Austin-American Statesman) had a recipe for cranberry maple chutney where they used 2:1 ratio of maple syrup and sugar. They also added chopped pecans or walnuts- I think bits of nuts add suddle texture variety.