Cranberry Cherry Apple Sauce

Cranberry sauce is one of my favorite things to make for the holidays.  I love how it fills the house with its sweet aroma.  

I have been making this cranberry sauce for many years.  It reminds me of the one that my mom would make (with apples and orange juice) when I was growing up.  I love the flavor combination and the addition of the extra fruit.  I’ve tried to mix it up over the years and add different things like fresh ginger, cloves, fresh apple juice, more honey, etc. but I always come back to this recipe, it’s my all time favorite. 

Cranberry Cherry Apple Sauce

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Make this sauce the day before your holiday meal.  It keeps well in the refrigerator and tastes even better the next day. 

Equipment: Medium-Size Saucepan w/ Lid, Cutting Board, Microplane Zester or Standing Grater with Zester, Optional Food Processor

·      1 ½ cups fresh organic cranberries (frozen is fine)

·      1 cup frozen organic sweet cherries

·      1 medium-size organic apple (I use Fuji), peeled and finely diced

·      Zest of organic orange

·      1 organic orange (I use Valencia), halved and juiced

·      2 organic cinnamon sticks (I buy cinnamon sticks here)

·      ½ cup honey (I use local raw clover honey)

1.    Wash cranberries, apple and orange.  Peel and finely dice apple.  Zest orange with microplane zester/standing grater zester.  Cut orange in half to juice. 

2.   Place cranberries, frozen cherries, diced apple, orange zest, cinnamon sticks and honey in saucepan.  Squeeze/juice orange halves over fruit, any pulp that falls into the saucepan is fine. 

3.   Cover saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, remove lid and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer about 30-35 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.  [Note: Sauce will thicken more as cooled/refrigerated.]

4.   If you prefer a chunkier cranberry sauce, remove cinnamon sticks and leave as is.  If you prefer a smoother sauce, remove cinnamon sticks and add contents to a food processor.  Pulse to combine until smooth. 

5.    Transfer to a glass storage dish, cover and refrigerate for later (you can serve immediately if you prefer a warm/hot cranberry sauce).  Store in the refrigerator.    

Yield: Makes about 3 cups.

Note: If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add another ¼ - ½ cup honey.  I use Valencia oranges because they tend to be sweeter than Navel oranges this time of year, they also tend to be juicier – Navel oranges tend to be more tart and have less juice.  I prefer using a sweeter apple, Fuji is usually the least expensive at my local co-op, but any sweet apple would work fine.

Vegan-Option: Coconut palm sugar or organic maple syrup grade B could be substituted instead of honey. 

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This post is part of Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Allergy-Free Wednesdays @ Laura's Gluten Free Pantry, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Real Food Holiday Recipe Link Up @ Hybrid Rasta Mama, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, and Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health.