Fresh Cranberry Sauce
This recipe can be made in about 10 minutes! Traditional cranberry sauces either come from a can or are made by boiling down fresh cranberries with sugar and other ingredients. Using fresh cranberries allows you to retain their full health benefits. They are extremely tart, which is balanced out in this recipe by the sweetness from the apples and dates.
Cranberries are high in rarely found plant defense chemicals called pro-anthocyanidins. These compounds have antibacterial properties which studies have shown improve urinary tract health, and researchers also believe the benefits may include protection against collagen degradation in the skin and cognitive decline.
When you rinse off your fresh cranberries, make sure to toss out any very squishy or dry, wrinkled berries. If you zest your orange before you peel it, it’s a lot easier to hold onto. I usually use Fuji apples, but Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or any firm, red-skinned variety will work well. I love to serve this at room temperature in a beautiful glass or ceramic bowl.
Ingredients:
3 cups fresh cranberries, washed and drained (one 12 ounce bag)
3 apples, cored and chopped (no need to peel)
1 large orange, peeled, seeded and chopped
Zest of 1 orange
12 pitted dates (soaked in water for 30 minutes if they’re very hard)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Method:
Place all the ingredients into a large food processor bowl with the S blade and process together by pulsing until everything is mixed, but keep the mixture slightly chunky. Taste and adjust if needed. If you want a sweeter sauce, add more dates.
Scrape the mixture out into a bowl to serve. This can be served at room temperature or made in advance and served chilled. It stores well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Servings: 6-8
