Cranberries - 2 Ways {Cooked & Raw}

 

My husbands family is serious about their cranberries with Thanksgiving dinner! I had never really tried cranberries until I married into this family! And I feel I've been missing out big time! I love them! I remember as a kid thinking they were just some weird red fruity sauce that only grown-ups liked. And since I'm a "grown-up" now maybe that's why I like them so! I don't know but these two recipes are downright delicious. I especially loved the raw cranberries. They are a bit more tart than the cooked (although you can adjust that to your liking with how much sugar you add). I like them as a side on my Thanksgiving dinner plate or I like them spread across sandwich on a leftover roll with cold leftover turkey. I think these leftovers are the reason I love Thanksgiving so much! Oh and the pie....I can't forget the pie!  

If you're family isn't into the cranberry sauces and you still want to add some cranberry to your Thanksgiving meal, try this recipe for Cranberry Cream Salad that Leesh posted last year. It's a major crowd pleaser....I mean marshmallows, fruit, and whipped cream, who could resist?!?!?

If you try any of these recipes for you Thanksgiving meal, we'd love to hear what you think. Leave us a comment! We love to hear from you!

Cranberry Sauce {Cooked}
Printable Version {Cooked Cranberry Sauce}
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1-3 tablespoons ginger, grated (pick your zesty scale)
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries
¼ teaspoon cardamom

Directions:
Boil everything but cranberries until the sugar is dissolved in a medium size saucepan. Add cranberries and continue simmer until all the cranberries pop. The sauce will get really thick (and tasty). Remove from heat and cool.

Serve as a side with your thanksgiving meal, or spread on a leftover turkey and roll sandwich!

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Jon J.


And here's another recipe......
 

Cranberry Sauce/Relish {Raw}
Printable Version {Raw Cranberry Sauce/Relish}
Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries
1 orange
¾ cup sugar

Directions:
Grind the cranberries and whole orange in a food grinder, blender or food processor until mostly smooth.  If you’d like you can put the whole orange segments and all of the zest (thoroughly zested) in and blend up.  Add sugar and blend more til combined.

Let cranberry mixture sit in a bowl, stir occasionally.  The longer the sugar has to soak into the cranberries the less tart it will be. You can add more sugar to taste if you’d like.

Serve as a side with your Thanksgiving meal. Or use as a relish on a leftover turkey and roll sandwich.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Maureen G.