Countdown to Thanksgiving: Cranberry Sauce

Ah, cranberries. For years, we ate the canned kind. The scratch of the can opener, followed by the shlorp of the red cylinder exiting the can, were very much parts of the Thanksgiving experience. I loved the sweet-tart-bitter flavor of the condiment.

My Gran would make her own. I was fascinated by this as a child. I had always figured that there was some sort of magical alchemy that took place in the cranberry sauce factory that gave the berries their look and texture. Not so. What's more, unlike most homemade dishes, these turned out prettier than the "real" version!

One year, I decided to try making them myself. There was a recipe on the bag. (Sort and rinse cranberries. Boil one cup each white sugar and water. When sugar dissolves, add cranberries. Turn down heat and allow to simmer 5-10 minutes, or until most of the berries have popped. Put berries through a Foley mill. Refrigerate. That is all.)

Being who I am, I decided that I was going to augment the berries and make them my own. I made one batch using ginger, honey, and apricot nectar. It was tasty and the most brilliant color, but a bit intense. The real winner was my spiced whole berry sauce. It's the simplest thing you can imagine, and tastier than the plain version.

1 c. apple cider
1 c. lightly packed dark brown sugar
1 bag cranberries (rinse and sort)
1 stick cinnamon

Bring the cider and sugar to a boil with the cinnamon stick.

When the sugar is dissolved, turn down the heat and add the berries.

Simmer 5-10 minutes, or until most of the berries have popped.

Fish out the cinnamon stick. Put the berries into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate. If you prefer a smooth sauce, you can put this through the food mill, or press it through a strainer. Do this while it is still warm, or it won't work.

Bonus recipe:

Christmas in Cape Cod

Make the spiced cranberries, but do not put into a bowl yet. Use a ladle to scoop up as much liquid as possible. Pour into a glass over ice and add some vodka (how much depends on how much juice you have, and which relative has cornered you in the kitchen). I like to top it off with a splash of club soda as well.