Cranberry sauce is a must at a traditional Thanksgiving table. You might be surprised to know that you can make your own in about 15 minutes. I realize the canned sauce is pretty good, and even kids will eat the jellied kind, but the homemade stuff is so delicious, it is worth the small amount of time it takes to make it from scratch. You can serve your homemade cranberry sauce with the whole berries or you can press it through a strainer and it will become jellied in the refrigerator.
  
My Mother always made ours several days ahead; she used orange juice instead of water and put in a big piece of orange peel to cook with the cranberries, which gave it a delicious orange flavor.
 
If you want to go a step further, you can make cranberry chutney. Chutney is a condiment that is both sweet and spicy; it is an integral part of any spicy Indian meal, and is popular in many countries of the world.  Mango chutney is probably the most well-known, but the following cranberry version is so good, I’ll probably never try to make the mango version.  I like to put this chutney over a bar of cream cheese and serve it with crackers; it goes well with plain meats and fish as well as spicy foods. You can keep this chutney in the refrigerator, tightly sealed, for up to 3 months.

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1 12 oz. package cranberries, rinsed and drained

Combine orange juice and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; add cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries pop, stirring occasionally. Cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time. If you want jellied cranberry sauce, cook for about five extra minutes or until it begins to thicken, then press through a strainer into a bowl. Cover and chill until set.
 
Amount Per Serving
Calories 48       Calories from Fat 1
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 1% Protein 1% Carb. 97%
 
Nutrient Amount per
Serving
Total Fat 0 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 12 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 0 g
 
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 13% Calcium 0% Iron 0%

Cranberry Chutney

4 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen,
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups water
10 whole cloves
2 3” cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes, or 1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup candied ginger, diced (available at Asian groceries and some larger grocery stores)
 
Mix the cranberries, sugar, water, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and salt in a large, deep pan . Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Turn the heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the cranberries pop.
 
Stir in the Apples, pears, onion, raisins, and ginger. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until thick, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Discard the cinnamon sticks and the cloves if you can find them. Transfer to jars, seal tightly, and refrigerate for up to 3 months.
 
Amount Per Serving
Calories 171 Calories from Fat 16
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 9% Protein 2% Carb. 89%
 
Nutrient Amount per
Serving
Total Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 102 mg
Total Carbohydrate 38 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 1 g
 
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 11% Calcium 0% Iron 8%