If you like a slight pucker in your cheeks, these cranberries are for you! Naturally sweetened and refined sugar free, stay feeling your best this holiday season.
It's not Thanksgiving without the cranberries, but unlike many of Americans who grew up eating canned cranberry sauce, I never tried canned cranberry sauce until my adult life. Every holiday my mom would make the best fresh cranberries with pears and loads of honey, that I never knew a person to not love them. Even when the opportunity presented itself to try the jelled canned version plopped on a plate and sliced, I never felt intrigued when her version sat right next to it. This isn't quite my moms recipe, but it was inspired by the one I grew up eating, minus all the added sugar.
Recipe:
Yield: about 6 cups or 15 servings
Cook time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups pears peeled and medium diced, about 4 pears
24 oz fresh whole cranberries
zest of 1 orange
3/4 cup orange juice, about 3 oranges
1/4 cup blood orange juice, about 3 oranges (optional - can sub more OJ)
1/4 cup blood orange or orange segments (2 blood oranges or 2 oranges)
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP pure maple syrup or honey
pinch of salt
Directions:
In a large pot on the stove bring together cranberries, pears, orange zest, salt, and citrus juice over low heat. Simmer on low for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally until cranberries have burst and pears are soft.
Stir in blood orange segments and sweeten to taste.
These cranberries thicken up as they cool and keep in the fridge for up to 7 days, if they last that long!
What to do with leftover cranberries???
A turkey cranberry sandwich of course! The sandwich of the holidays is so much better with these fresh cranberries, thick sliced turkey breast and a shmeer of cream cheese, goat cheese or tangy cashew cheese. Try serving it on a left over roll or sandwich bread.
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