Cranberry Sauce Recipes: Traditional, Orange Cranberry and Wine N' Berry Cranberry

Cranberry sauce is often an afterthought when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. The season invariably conjures up images of a well-browned turkey, big bowl of stuffing, homemade pumpkin pie and rich, brown gravy. Nonetheless, a well planned holiday meal deserves the balance of flavor that only a good Thanksgiving cranberry sauce recipe can deliver. The following recipes provide easy, step by step directions for preparing three different, uniquely favored versions of cranberry sauce.

Traditional Holiday Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
2 (12 ounce) packages fresh cranberries
2 cups filtered or spring water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 whole cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Combine granulated and brown sugar with water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Over moderate heat, stir to dissolve sugar and add cinnamon sticks.
Bring to boil, add in cranberries and return to a boil. After one minute, reduce heat to a simmer.

Stir occasionally, cooking for 10-12 minutes or until the berries begin to burst. Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon sticks and transfer to a ceramic container. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Cool to room temperature, cover with an airtight lid and refrigerate. Best when made 1 to 2 days in advance.

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 cup filtered or spring water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/8 teaspoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
Pinch ground cloves

Directions:
Wash and pick over the cranberries. Combine the water, orange juice concentrate, granulated and brown sugar in a medium sized saucepan over moderate heat. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and bring to a boil.

Add in the cranberries, cinnamon, mace and cloves. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until at least half of the berries have burst, about 10-12 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a ceramic bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes then cover with airtight lid and refrigerate overnight. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Wine n' Berry Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 cup cabernet sauvignon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 cups wild blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries

Directions:
Sort through cranberries and wash thoroughly. In a medium-sized, heavy-bottom saucepan, combine cranberries, wine, granulated and brown sugar over moderate heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until cranberries burst.

Mash the berries lightly with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and allspice. Mix thoroughly.

Crush the blackberries using a mortar and pestle or blend in a food processor. Use a fine wire mesh strainer to remove the skins and seeds. Add the blackberry juice to the cranberries and stir to combine then heat through 1-2 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and fold in the in the blueberries. It's best if approximately 1/3 of the blueberries break and the rest remain intact. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Transfer sauce to a ceramic container and allow to cool 30 minutes at room temperature. Cover with airtight lid and refrigerate until chilled.

Misconceptions aside, cranberry sauce can be something truly special, so long as it's fresh and homemade. The gelatinous, deep red version that emerges ribbed from countless tin cans each November are unlikely to stir excitement or pleasure the palate. After all, if you're going to go to the trouble of cooking the perfect bird, making homemade stuffing and baking your family's favorite pies, there's no sense in serving a lackluster, anti-climactic cranberry condiment.

At my house, we have a tradition for turkey leftovers that we call Thanksgiving on a roll. We use freshly made French bread and split the still-warm loaves down the side like a submarine sandwich. The bottom inside surface of the bread is coated with chilled cranberry sauce and the top half gets moistened with a little mayonnaise. The sandwich is then filled with thinly sliced roasted turkey and topped with a layer of homemade stuffing.

For my family, the Wine n' Berry Cranberry Sauce is a holiday prerequisite. While the uniquely sophisticated flavor combination tends to be a huge hit on Thanksgiving, its popularity soars on sandwich day. Whichever recipe you decide to try, your family will no doubt notice the difference and appreciate the effort. In fact, be prepared for rave reviews.