Hello, friends. Fall seems to be marching through at an astounding pace this year. Halloween is over and we’re on to Thanksgiving in just three weeks! It’s time to start planning that Thanksgiving menu, and one of the staples of Thanksgiving dinner is . . . cranberry sauce.
Yes, you can easily buy cranberry sauce at your local grocery store, open the can, slurp it into a bowl, cut it into even slices, and serve. It’s quick and easy. But I’d like to introduce you to homemade cranberry sauce. It’s simple to make and can consist of as few as three ingredients: cranberries, your preferred sweetener, and water.
Homemade cranberry sauce tastes better than canned; the cranberries stand out rather than the sugar. You control the ingredients when you make your own cranberry sauce. That means you can add different things to deepen or round out the flavor, add more interest, increase/reduce the sweetness of the cranberry sauce, or avoid ingredients you don’t want to consume.
For this recipe, I used dry red wine and ginger to deepen the flavor, maple syrup and honey for sweetness, and orange juice – because oranges and cranberries always complement one another. We like this cranberry sauce by itself or as a condiment on top of sweet potatoes, turkey, or pork, or even in Greek yogurt for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Prep it the day before to save time on the day of the dinner and to give the flavors more time to meld together.
Go ahead and add homemade cranberry sauce to your Thanksgiving menu right now. You won’t be disappointed!
Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine and Ginger
Ingredients
- 3 c. fresh cranberries
- 1/3 c. dry red wine I used Shiraz
- 1/3 c. orange juice
- 1/3 c. water
- 1/2 c. pure maple syrup
- 1/4 c. honey
- 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick 3-4 in.
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan, stir together, and bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to med-low and simmer for about 10 minutes until cranberries soften and start to "pop", stirring frequently. Cranberries will burst open and the sauce will thicken as it cooks.
- Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.
- Makes about 2 1/3 c. cranberry sauce.
Looking for more Holiday menu ideas?
Maple Balsamic Roasted Winter Vegetables
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Quinoa Dressing with Mushrooms and Almonds
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