I'm about to head to the airport but I thought I would try to get this post up, as I've been so bad about posting this month. I made this cranberry applesauce first for Thanksgiving and then twice after that since it's so good. Not only is it a gorgeous, deep burgundy but it perfectly balances the tastes of cranberry and apple and takes only about 10 minutes of prep work to make. In fact, I think I'm going to go have a bowl of it now. Recipe after the jump.
Cranberry Applesauce
Adapted from Cuisine at Home
Makes about 5 cups
2.5 lb (1kg) apples, your favorite variety (probably 4-5 apples, depending on size)
1, 12oz (350g) bag fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and picked over to remove stray stems and wonky berries
2 C (500ml) apple cider
1/2 C (50g) sugar, with another 1/2 C in reserve
1/4-1/2 t. cinnamon (depending on your taste)
1/4-1/2 t. ground ginger (depending on your taste)
pinch of salt
- Peel the apples. Core and chop half the apples into chunks- whatever size you like (bigger if you're a fan of chunky applesauce, smaller if you like it smoother). Shred the remaining apples on the largest holes of a box grater.
- Put the apples and all the rest of the ingredients in a heavy pot over medium heat. Bring to a bowl and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes or until most of the cranberries have popped. It's actually rather fun to hear them pop away as you're cooking. The sauce will have thickened slightly and turned an almost uniform cranberry color. Give the sauce a taste and add more sugar, cinnamon and ginger until it's just how you like it.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool, it will continue to thicken as it does. Serve immediately or store in the fridge.
3 comments:
Hope your holidays are going well.
I really like the idea of using apples with your cranberry sauce. This looks really good. I need to bookmark it for next year. For some reason I only cook with cranberries in November and December. Probably because that is the only time they are available!
Thanks for your comments... Lynn- I really should have mentioned this in the post; cranberries freeze really well so if you store has a sale after the holidays you can buy a few bags, toss them right in the freezer (no need to use a freezer bag) and defrost them with cool water when you're ready to use them. Since most preparations (well all that I've seen) for cranberries involve cooking them, there's no noticeable difference in the finished product.
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