Ingredients
- 1 cup craisins
- Ginger liqueur (I use The King’s Ginger or Domaine de Canton) or ginger ale
- A 12 oz bag of cranberries, washed
- 4-6 cinnamon sticks
- 1 c cranberry juice cocktail
- 3-4 clementines or 2-3 satsumas (zest plus innards)
- 1 medium-sized honeycrisp apple
- 1/2 c dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 c molasses
- 1/4 – 1/2 c crystalized ginger (I suggest the “hard” bits from Ginger People or Penzy’s)
- Ground cinnamon
Preparation
- Measure 1 cup of craisins and add enough ginger liqueur/ale to cover. Let soak at least 30 minutes.
- Reserve 1/2 c of cranberries.
- Zest the citrus. Now, create orange supreme slices.
- Peel and cube the apple.
- Put cranberry juice, cranberries and cinnamon sticks in a large saucepan and over medium heat.
- Add brown sugar and molasses. Stir.
- Add candied ginger and craisins. Add the liqueur the craisins had soaked in if you like. Stir.
- Sprinkle in a dash or two of ground cinnamon. Stir.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the cranberries begin to lose shape.
- Add the citrus zest & slices plus the cubed apple. Cook about 3 more minutes, stirring.
- Add the reserved cranberries. Cook 3-5 more minutes.
- Remove from heat when the consistency is slightly more liquid than you’d like in the final version. As it cools, it will congeal due to the pectin in the fruit. But don’t cook it to death!
- Place in bowl or quart jar (wide-mouthed is easier!) and let cool. Place in refrigerator overnight covered to let the flavors meld.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks before serving.
This will not look or taste anything like “jellied” cranberry sauce. The consistency is more like a chutney. Double the apple to make it more chutney-like.
One reply on “Cranberry Sauce With Apples (Spiked)”
Other considerations: zest the orange – reserve a half-cup of cranberries and add at the end, just before removing from heat – reduce brown sugar and use maple syrup or honey instead.