A Cranberry Thanksgiving
Sauces, Relish
and Cooking Tips
 Thanksgiving
in the USA dates back to 1621 when Pilgrims and Native Americans feasted
together to celebrate the fall harvest and reflect upon their blessings.
Celebrated every year since then, the American Thanksgiving feast eventually
became a national holiday in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln issued his Thanksgiving
Proclamation.
Thanksgiving has changed
over the years, but the essence of giving thanks for our blessings and the
commemoration of the Pilgrim’s landing in Plymouth, Massachusetts still remains.
Food has been, and still
is, the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving holiday. Since the first Thanksgiving of
1621, cranberries have been on most American’s holiday menus. As one of only
three fruits indigenous to North America, cranberries are steeped in this
country’s heritage.
This Thanksgiving, feel
good—and healthy too— about eating plenty of cranberry goodies. Not only do the
tangy berries compliment most foods, they also deliver a variety of health
benefits.
Try These Cranberry Holiday Recipes:
Classic Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
1 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan; stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a
boil and add cranberries. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10
minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool completely at room
temperature. Cover; store in the refrigerator.
Makes about 2 ¼ cups
Triple Berry Cranberry Sauce
1 cup frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed drained
1/4 cup dried sweetened dried cranberries
4 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons minced orange peel
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Combine cranberry juice cocktail concentrate and sugar in heavy medium saucepan.
Bring to boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add fresh and
dried cranberries and cook until fresh berries begin to pop, stirring often,
about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange juice, orange peel and
allspice. Cool completely. Cover; store in refrigerator.
Makes about 2 ½ Cups
Cranberry Orange Relish
3 cups fresh cranberries
2 whole oranges, quartered
1 cup sugar
Grind fresh cranberries and oranges in a food processor. Pour into a bowl and
add sugar (more if desired) to taste. Mix ingredients well. Cover; store in the
refrigerator.
Makes about 2 ½ Cups
Cranberried Sweet Potatoes
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup apple juice or cider
¾ cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp melted butter
Cut sweet potatoes in half and boil until tender. Cool in cold water, then peel
off skins. Place sweet potatoes in a baking dish sprayed with nonstick oil. In a
saucepan, combine cranberries, apple juice or cider and brown sugar. Cook 25
minutes. Mix in lemon juice and spoon cranberry sauce over sweet potatoes.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine honey with melted butter and pour over cranberry
sauce. Bake 20 minutes, serve hot from the oven.
Makes four servings.
Tips for Cooking with Cranberries
- A 12-ounce bag of
cranberries equals three cups.
- Leftover cranberry
sauce can be refrigerated for several days or it can be frozen in an
air-tight container up to a year.
- Fresh cranberries
will stay fresh and retain nutrients frozen for nine months to a year. Place
bags of fresh berries directly into the freezer in their original bags.
- Boiling cranberries
is essential to release natural pectin inside the cranberry for gelling. You
must boil the berries long enough to ensure the release of appropriate
pectin. (Cook for at least 10 minutes.)
- To add zing and
texture to your bread or grain-based stuffing, add ½ to ¾ cup sweetened
dried cranberries to your recipe.
~The Cranberry Institute
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