First of all, I would like to take a poll of your favorite Thanksgiving dish. I wonder what other people like the best. I most look forward to the mashed potatoes. Turkey is ok, but only if it is covered in gravy. I usually take a small sampling of whatever else there is but for me it is definitely all about the mashed potatoes. I will not apologize for my boring-ness. There is one item I never have any problem passing up though. Cranberries. Now, I am not saying that I do not like cranberries. I went to a cooking class with my friend Melissa a few weeks ago and one of the things being demoed was cranberry sauce, which was later made into cranberry bars. It was then that I realized that I have never had a cranberry. I have eaten dried cranberries in granola bars but never sauce, plain, or as the star of a dish. Well, it turns out that I like cranberries! But still, that cranberry sauce that comes in a can? Is it any good? It looks just horrible.
I figured if I was going to try cranberry sauce for the first time it was going to be the real deal. The fact that it is super easy to make is just a bonus. Seriously, it is not much more work than getting out a can opener, opening that can, and slicing up the can shaped cranberry “sauce.” Can we even call it sauce? It looks more like Jell-o. But once again, I have never tried it so what do I know? Anyway, this is super easy and much more appetizing. And, best part of all, it tasted good! I originally added ¾ of a cup of sugar and it was still a little tart for me so I added ¼ cup more and it was much better. Next time I might even add a smidge more. There was also the slight flavor of orange, which I enjoyed. I didn’t really taste the cinnamon though. The 16 ounce bag of cranberries really cooked down a lot so I would recommend buying 2 bags. If there is real cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving table this year I will definitely add it to my plate!
Here is what you’ll need
Add all ingredients to the pot and heat over medium
Cook until the cranberries start to burst
Make this for Turkey Day instead of the crummy canned cranberries!
Ingredients
1 16 ounce bag of frozen cranberries
1 orange, juice and zest
1 cup of sugar
1 cinnamon stick
Directions
Combine all ingredients into a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium high heat, stirring often, for about 15minutes or until the cranberries start to burst. Taste for sweetness. Add more sugar if desired. The original recipe called for ¾ of a cup but it was too tart for me so I increased it to 1 cup.
Source: Tyler Florence
