Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without the cranberry sauce! My friends, If you read that last sentence and pictured a plate with a glob of something shaped like a can that jiggles like a bowl full of jelly, then your Thanksgiving’s past have been robbed of one of the true joys of Thanksgiving dinner.
Real cranberries!
Trust me on this one…
You will want to give it a try.
The prep and cook time take almost no time at all and your guests, even if they think they prefer the jiggly cranberry goo, will be converted! You will make a foodie out of them yet!
You will need: 1 10 oz package of frozen cranberries, 1 T fresh grated ginger, 1 T fresh grated lemon zest, the juice from 1 small lemon, 1 cup of pineapple juice, and 2 T honey or sugar/sugar substitute.
Using a vegetable peeler remove the brown skin from the ginger like you are peeling a carrot. Using a small grater or micro-plane grate the ginger until you have a full tablespoon. Then using the same small grater or micro-plane grate the outside rind of the lemon. The rind holds a very strong citrus flavor which will add a nice balance to the ginger.
Toss the frozen cranberries and all other ingredients into a small saucepan, stir well. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium heat stirring often. As it simmers, close your eyes and take in the delectable aroma. I think we could sell the scent to a certain candle company I know to be immortalized in wax. We will call it “cranberry ginger holiday bliss“!
Towards the end of the 15 minutes the sauce will start to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the sauce to sit in the pan for about 10 minutes.
Then transfer your sauce into a jars.
If you decide to make the sauce on Thanksgiving day, you can serve it up warm. As for myself, I make it the night before and serve it cold. I like the variance from all the other hot food on my ginormous plate of deliciousness. It is also one less thing to have to coordinate on a day in which I want to be involved with my loved ones.
The color and flavors add the perfect balance to Thanksgiving dinner. I bet you could even convince the jiggly jelly slice lovers to give it a whirl.
If you happen to have leftovers, it is marvelous on a crepe with some mascarpone cheese or slathered all over your next day turkey sandwich! Thanksgiving leftovers? Yes please!
Now go ahead and spread the holiday bliss liberally this season!
Lemon Ginger Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 oz. frozen cranberries
- 1 T fresh grated ginger
- 1 T fresh grated lemon zest
- Juice from 1 small lemon
- 1 cup of pineapple juice
- 2 T honey or sugar
Instructions
- Toss the frozen cranberries and all other ingredients into a small saucepan, stir well.
- Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium heat stirring often.
- Towards the end of the 15 minutes the sauce will start to thicken.
- Remove the pot from heat and allow the sauce to sit in the pan for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a jar with a lid and store in the fridge for up to a week.
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