Homemade Cranberry Sauce

I will always be a sucker for cranberry sauce IN a can.  You know–the kind where it “plops” onto a plate and can be cut based on the ringlet indentations made from the can? Just thinking about this nuclear family favorite makes me think of everything Thanksgiving.

But the cranberry sauce in a can is not real cranberry sauce.  It’s mostly sugar, food coloring, and water with very little cranberries.  (Honestly, what do you expect for 27-cents a can?)

But the real thing, real cranberry sauce is like dessert on wheels.  It has a delicious consistency of ripe berries and gooey sauce while being simultaneously sweet and sour.  I just love it.

No matter how old I get, I will always serve cranberry sauce in a can.  But next to it–in a  much fancier serving dish–will be this recipe for Homemade Cranberry Sauce.  The sauce tastes like any traditional cranberry holiday concoction but incorporate a touch of lemon and cinnamon to give it that cetain “je ne sais quoi” quality.  Serve both at your next Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and take a vote for your dinner companions’ favorites.  Maybe they’ll have trouble choosing too…..

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

My recipe for homemade cranberry sauce incorporates the zest of one lemon and a tablespoon of cinnamon.  The lemon adds a surprisingly bright citrus taste and the cinnamon encompasses all things holiday.

Ingredients:

* 1 (12-oz) bag of fresh cranberries, washed

* 1 cup sugar

* zest of 1 lemon

* 1 tablespoon cinnamon

1.) Wash cranberries and set aside.  Zest 1 lemon and set aside.

2.) In a large pop, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil whisking occasionally so that the sugar dissolves.  Once boiling, add cranberries.

3.) Bring mixture to another boil and cover pot with lid.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until each of the berries has popped.  Trust me, you’ll want to cover your pot at this step, otherwise you’ll have red cranberry juice spraying all over your kitchen!

4.) Turn off heat and allow sauce to cool.  Transfer sauce serving dish and serve either immediately or refrigerate.  Sauce lasts for up to 1 month refrigerated.

Enjoy! Makes 8-10 servings.

–Helana Brigman