I got some fresh cranberries from the Cranberry Festival in Fort Langley BC this year and oh my were they ever fabulous! I had never worked with fresh cranberries before but wanted to try making a cranberry sauce to go with a hertitage pastured turkey that we were blessed to get from our dear friends at Laurica Farm.
This recipe is the result of that experiment which turned out way better than I could ever have expected.
Cranberry drinks and sauces that you purchase in most stores are loaded with sugar, usually of the refined kind. I wanted to come up with something that was a little more tart and used a healthier alternative. I found maple syrup to work the best.
Many pepole know cranberrys are full of vitamin C and are great for kidneys and bladder health. But what else are they good for?
Health Benefits
Cranberries are one of the top antioxidant-rich foods, with more antioxidants ounce-for-ounce than other “superfoods” like spinach, blueberries, or even green tea. Many people only think of them at holiday times but they are something that should be part of your seasonl intake. You can easily freeze fresh ones for later use when they are not in season too.
Cranberries:
- have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect, which can potentially benefit conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, stomach and digestive disorders, and our cardiovascular system, particularly the lining of our vessel walls.
- have phytonutrients that benefit dental health, by preventing bacteria from sticking to teeth and can also help to reduce inflammation in and around gums, which helps to reduce our risk of periodontal disease.
- benefit cardiovascular health due to a combination of factors, including cranberry’s antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory effects, and potential improvement of HDL and LDL cholesterol. The polyphenols may help prevent the build-up of plaque on vessel walls, and the antioxidant components of cranberries are also linked to a reduction in blood pressure.
Cranberry Apple Sauce
This is the basic formula so you can double this or make bigger batches easily. I’ve just used 1 cup because that’s all I had. This does take awhile to cook down and it’s best when made a few days ahead of serving. Just warm to serve.
1 cup fresh cranberries (if frozen defrost first and drain off water)
1 cup fresh apple, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 – 1 cup maple syrup (start with 1/2 cup and add more as needed to your taste)
Add cranberries and apple to a medium heavy bottomed saucepan on medium low. Bring it to a simmer then turn to low letting it slowly and gently cook down the fruit until it starts to soften; about 30 minutes. After about 15 minutes of simmering add the maple syrup in small increments at a time, letting it simmer for a few minutes before adding more until you reach your desired flavor. Keep letting it all simmer together until the apple and cranberrys start to break down and you have a thick sauce with some whole fruit still left. Remove from heat and let cool. This will keep in the fridge for a week and you can freeze it too.
Not only is it great with turkey but try adding it to a salad, smoothie or wraps/nori rolls. Cranberry sauce is a great addition to your condiments no matter what style of eating you follow.
See my Simple Stress Free Holiday Menu for full menu suggestions and recipes.
Enjoy!
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