To be honest, I don't mind the kind of cranberry jelly that comes from a can. I'm not saying that it's the epitome of gourmet cuisine, but it tastes pretty good and, thanks to some relatives I mentioned before, it's generally going to be on the table at holiday meals regardless of what else is there. But I don't want to limit myself (or my family) to the cylindrical jelly, so one of the other things that is usually on the table as well, is homemade cranberry sauce. It is bright and can be flavored in any number of ways, not to mention that it is very easy to make. From start to finish, the sauce only takes a few minutes and it can be made well in advance and stored in the fridge. This particular recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit and uses fresh cranberries as well as cranberry juice and dried cherries, which plump up as they are heated. I used organic berries and cherries in mine, but the flavor really isn't very different if you use conventionally grown fruits.
The recipe is after the jump.
Homemade Cranberry and Dried Cherry Sauce(adapted from Epicurious)
2 1/2 cups cranberry juice
1 cup golden brown sugar, packed
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 6-ounce package dried cherries (tart or not)*
1 12-ounce bag cranberries
Bring first juice to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Add cherries and cook for 2 minutes. Add cranberries and cook until berries pop, stirring occasionally. This will take about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and chill overnight. Discard cinnamon stick before serving.
Serve cold or at room temperature.
Makes about 4 cups.
*Note: I used dried Ranier cherries. Epicurious says that other dried fruits can stand in for the cherries and recommends dried cranberries or raisins.
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