Zesty and Tasty Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Thanksgiving is a time of traditions and lots of food. I remember when I was growing up the best thing about Thanksgiving was being able to eat as much as I wanted of a lot of different foods. The one thing that my Mother always made me eat that I hated was the jellied, out of a can, cranberry sauce. It made me want to gag. The texture was just too much for me. So, when I grew up I never ate it and never fixed it. Thanksgiving, if it was at my house, was ALWAYS without cranberry sauce. Then my husband and I decided to try to make a cranberry sauce that I would eat!

The result is this wonderful tasting and great looking cranberry sauce from scratch! It is easy and wonderful. The tradition of Thanksgiving is alive and well at our house now as we serve Cranberry Sauce with our Turkey. We try to serve a mixture of traditional dishes and new twists on dishes that our grandparents served. The tastes of home and family are mixed with some new and refreshing tastes.

The cream sherry gives a whole new dimension to the cranberry sauce and makes it a grown up treat for all to share in. The heating removes any alcohol while retaining the flavor and richness. This is a zesty and tasty cranberry sauce without the texture of the jellied store bought stuff! The orange zest, ginger and red pepper give it a rounded taste that is so different from the traditional cranberry sauce. Adding some toasted nuts is also an option but is not a necessity to make this a new taste sensation.

Serve this with your Thanksgiving Turkey to get a round of applause and some hearty thanks from your family and friends. This cranberry sauce has ruined my family for any other type!

Tasty Cranberry Sauce

1 pound fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup cream sherry

1 Tablespoon minced Ginger

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 Tablespoon orange zest

Bring sugar and cream sherry to a boil. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and lower heat to simmer until you hear the cranberries start to pop like popcorn, approximately 10 - 15 minutes. Try not to let the cranberries burst for too long or they will be bitter. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Stir to reincorporate the liquid that separates then refrigerate until served. This can be prepared and refrigerated several days in advance.