Cranberry Sauce with Port and Orange
Homemade Cranberry Sauce for Gift
Cranberry sauce is a traditional accompaniment to turkey at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner. A jar of homemade cranberry sauce is a very nice and personal gift to your friends for Christmas. Your love and your work are in it. Decorate it with a nice ribbon and a personalized label. You will see everybody will be very happy with it.
We have only 4 weeks until Christmas. It’s time to collect the ideas and prepare everything ahead what we can. I know this year is very different. But I would like to bring out the best in this situation. We will share further tips with you from our kitchen before Christmas to surprise your friends. Follow our website and subscribe to the monthly newsletter and you will not miss any of them.
Cranberry Is One of The Superfruits
Cranberry is native to North America. It was brought from there to Europe in the 19th century and became very popular. The berries are harvested and sold fresh in the fall, from mid-September until mid-November. Their season is almost finished now. But they’re processed and sold year-round in juices, as dried fruit, and as canned products.
Cranberries are rich source of several vitamins and minerals. They contain a range of vital B vitamins (B-1, B-2, B-3, B-6). Cranberries are especially rich in vitamin C. This vitamin is a powerful, natural antioxidant. Vitamin C can boost the immune system, support collagen production for wound healing. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that plays a role in immune function. Cranberries contain potassium, manganese, calcium and copper.
They are high in acidity, only lemons and lime have more acid. I use honey and Ruby Port to compensate this tartness in the sauce.
Cranberry Sauce Is Fail-Proof to Make
Don’t worry if you have never made it before. I am sure you can’t spoil it. Just put all ingredients into sauce pan and cook for 20 minutes. Don’t forget to stir during the cooking and taste at the end. Sweeten further if needed. It’s not necessary to use any thickener because cranberries contain a high level of pectin. The pectin, this natural fiber thickens the sauce. It is commonly used to make jellies and jams.
Ruby Port is important ingredients in this sauce. The sweetness of this deep red wine with the sourness of the cranberries are in very good balance. I add winter spices like cinnamon and cloves to the sauce also.
Don’t worry if you made too big portion. It can be stored in sterilized airtight jar in the fridge for 10-14 days. If you want to store your cranberry sauce longer, pour it into a sterilized freezer-safe airtight container and put it into the freezer. It will have fresh tasting for about 2-3 months.
Cooking with Cranberries:
Try Kyara’s cranberry jam and my meatloaf with cranberry. And don’t forget the cranberry balls to your Christmas turkey!
Cranberry Sauce with Port and Orange
Ingredients
- 350 gram fresh cranberry
- 200 ml orange juice freshly squeezed
- 100 ml Ruby Port red wine
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 3 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3 pinches salt
- 2 pinches clove ground
Instructions
- Put all ingredients into sauce-pan. Start to cook on medium high heat until the first bubbling.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer the cranberries for 20 minutes. Stir frequently. When cranberries start to cook, you will hear a popping sound. It means the berries are bursting. It’s not necessary to use any thickener, because the pectin content of the cranberries will thicken the sauce during the simmering.
- Stir constantly in the last 5 minutes, because it can burn down very fast.
- Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
- (It can be stored in sterilized airtight jar in the fridge for 10-14 days. If you want to store your cranberry sauce longer, pour it into a sterilized freezer-safe airtight container and put it into the freezer. It will have fresh tasting for about 2-3 months.)