Cranberry Sauce

It is almost Thanksgiving again and since the wife will be back in Michigan while I stay here in Maryland this year we thought we would have a small early Thanksgiving meal for this weeks Sunday Dinner Episode.  I decided I would go item by item this year and let you know how we gorged ourselves this year.

If you tuned in expecting to see a traditional style Thanksgiving you will probably be disappointed.  Since it is only me and the wife we don't need to make a large meal or even a whole turkey.  Last year if you remember I made a  smoked turkey breast.  This year will be a little different since I don't have my charcoal grill yet, but for the turkey episode you will have to tune in later because first we need to prepare cranberry sauce before we get to the turkey.

I know a lot of people like to open up a can of cranberries, dump them in a bowl and serve them.  Making cranberries really isn't much more difficult than that and they will taste so much better.  All it takes is a few simple ingredients.......

Looks fairly normal, nothing to exotic unless you count the ginger but even that is readily available in stores these days. 

Now you have just witnessed the hardest part of making cranberry sauce, lining up the cast of characters to take a picture.  I'm serious because now all that's left to be done is dump all the ingredients into a pan and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Oh so good and the ginger gives the cranberries that little extra kick so people will think "There is something a little different going on here but I can't quite put my finger on it."

I'll give this cranberry sauce a 5 out of 5 forks.  I love cranberry and anything cranberry I just wish fresh cranberries were available all year around.

Now stayed tuned for the rest of the 2009 Early Thanksgiving Episode because this is only the beginning for the cranberry sauce.  Tomorrow night we will revisit Big Sis's Rosemary Dinner Rolls but only with my own personal twist.

Jock's Cranberry Sauce
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
1 12 oz. Bag fresh cranberries, washed and dried
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced

Directions
In a medium pot, combine the above ingredients. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until cranberries burst