Cranberry Sauce

Aside from pumpkins, few other fruits and vegetables can claim as much prominence during the Holiday Season in America as cranberries.  Cranberries are one of three fruits native to America that are grown commercially (the blueberry and the Concord grape being the other two).  The name is derived from "craneberry" which is what the Pilgrims dubbed these wild berries because of their springtime blossom, which resembles a Sandhill crane.

Native Americans used the cranberry for not only food, but also clothing dye and a healing agent.  The Pilgrims and settlers to follow quickly adopted them as a staple in their diet and found them to be a useful bartering tool.*

Today cranberries are one of the most popular fruits the world over.  Unless you've been living under a rock since the 1990's you'll have noticed that cranberries are in everything.  Juices, trail mixes, salads, cookies, marinades, etc.  Their versatility is made greater by their shelf-life.  Fresh cranberries can be kept sealed and chilled for up to 3 months!  That's nothing to how long they will last frozen (18-24 months).  And, just in case you aren't convinced about cranberries as the ultimate super fruit, their health benefits have been lauded for years.  Cranberries contain bacteria-blocking compounds that are believed to be helpful in preventing urinary tract infections, and scientists now think this same function may be useful in blocking the bacteria responsible for ulcers and certain oral bacteria that can lead to gum disease.**

Now let's get down to some really important business.  Cranberry sauce.  While some people are fine with buying cranberry sauce in a can, more and more people are turning to the do it yourself approach.  A couple years ago I made some homemade cranberry sauce, but was disappointed with the result.  The sauce contained too many other flavors that over powered the desired tang that cranberries provide.  I found myself asking why I couldn't make a sauce that tasted just like the stuff in a can.  Well this year the recipe practically slapped me in the face.

Yup, that's right.  Three ingredients.  Water, Sugar, Cranberries.  DUH!

After feeling foolish for bit I went out and bought the cranberries, came home and started the process of making what would turn out to be the perfect cranberry sauce.

First you mix 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a medium sauce pan.  I doubled the recipe because I made this batch for a pot luck.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a boil.

Add a 12 oz package of fresh cranberries to the pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and lightly boil for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat.  As you notice there is a film on top of the sauce.  Skim this immediately.  Trust me, the longer you wait, the harder it will be to skim the film.

Once the film has been skimmed, let the sauce sit until it is room temperature.  This process takes about 4-6 hours (longer if you made a double batch like I did).

Now that the sauce is room temperature, transfer to a serving dish, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.  Wow!  That was easy!

Hope you guys enjoy making (and eating) this sauce as much as I did!

*Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association (http://www.cranberries.org/cranberries/history.html)
**Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association (http://www.cranberries.org/cranberries/health.html)