Holiday Recipe: Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce

I have never had canned, processed cranberry sauce. I’ve seen it slide in a can-shaped lump into a serving bowl, get mushed around, and presented beside the holiday bird, but I’ve never tried it. Hmmm, I wonder why? For many years I thought I just didn’t like cranberry sauce. The idea of that bright red weird-looking jelly on turkey just did not appeal. Until the day I had HOMEMADE cranberry sauce.

It was like my world opened up. I discovered the most delightful tartness to compliment a salty buttery main dish. So began my experimentation of recipes to further elevate the bouncy red berries (did you know that cranberries bounce when they are ripe?).

Last year I shared my recipe for Bourbon Cranberry Sauce recipe. I was tempted to make this again this year, but I had a taste for something different. With the addition of ginger and orange the cranberries really sing. So much so that my husband and I polished off a jar with a roast chicken! The grated ginger adds heat and the candied ginger adds a sweet element, perfect to complement the fragrant orange and tart cranberries.

This recipe is great for canning as there is a lot of natural pectin in cranberries to make the sauce quite thick. This is a large batch that will make 16-18 x 1 cup jars. I made two different sizes–small family and large family sizes–as once opened it will only last in the fridge for a week or so.

Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce

• 8 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups sugar
• Zest and juice of one orange
• 2 thumbs fresh ginger peeled and finely grated
• 1 cup chopped candied ginger

Directions:
Boil the water and sugar together. Stir to dissolve the sugar to ensure it doesn’t sit at the bottom of the pot and burn.
Add 6 cups cranberries, grated ginger, and orange juice and cook on medium until the berries burst (about 15 minutes).

Add the remaining 2 cups of cranberries and the chopped candied ginger, then stir. Bring back to a boil and then reduce to medium to cook for 10 minutes or until you have the consistency you like.

Ladle into clean, hot, 1-cup canning jars. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

I decorated my jars for gifts with a festive custom label in Mai Li style.

Used In This Project:

• 2″ Circle Labels • I chose the “Mai Li” style in Red.
• 2.5″ Circle Labels • I chose the “Mai Li” style in Red.

More homemade gift ideas from Stephanie:

Bourbon Cranberry Sauce	Christmas Morning Granola	Soy Tin Candles	Caramelized Balsamic Figs

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