Twyla Sorrells's Recipe

Cranberry Sauce (Whole Berry)

Category: Condiments, Sauces & Gravy

1 bag fresh cranberries, about 2 - 3 cups
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Very scant pinch of salt

Rinse the cranberries. (Rinse ALL fresh produce for that matter!) Put them into a saucepan large enough to accommodate the berries + one cup. DO NOT ADD WATER.

Pour the sugar and vanilla into the pan, and literally only a few grains of salt to enhance the sweetness, and simmer everything together on low heat until the berries burst. Add only a very little liquid if needed, and it's best to use a sweet red wine (like Manischewitz - any flavor), or dark grape juice, cranberry juice, or even cherry juice. Water will dilute it and you'll lose flavor, but you don't want a juice that's going to "clash" with the cranberries. You won't need more than a tablespoon, if that. The berries will begin to cook in their own juices as soon as they begin to get warm.

Now you have two options. We now want the sauce to thicken a bit, so what do you want to do to thicken it? You may continue simmering on low heat until it cooks off any excess liquid on its own. This takes a little time but you can work around it if you keep an eye out to make sure it doesn't burn. OR you may add a small packet of unflavored gelatin, stirring very quickly to prevent lumps, and it will thicken immediately. If you use the gelatin you will get a less rustic finished product and it can lump... There is nothing more disgusting in a cranberry sauce than finding a lump of pure gelatin when you take a big bite. You can let it cool a bit, remove a small amount and dissolve the gelatin in that, then return it to the saucepan and stir like crazy. In the case of the cook-down method, it should be the consistence of jam or preserves, not jelly, and not soupy, but it should not be quite as sweet as preserves. If, however you've added the gelatin, you want it to be more watery so it does not thicken too much as it chills. If it's the consistency at which it should be served immediately it will congeal and become hard like Jell-O after it's set.

After the cranberry sauce has thickened (or after you've added the gelatin), carefully pour it into the dish in which you'll be serving from. If using a glass dish, you may want to cool the sauce before pouring as this gets hot enough to burst a fragile dish. Cool at least 15 minutes more, and then cover with plastic wrap or lid and chill for a few hours, or overnight if you have the time. It's much better chilled. Serve chilled.

If you like a sweeter cranberry sauce, you may either increase the sugar in the recipe slightly, or drizzle a little honey or agave nectar over the top when serving. I do not recommend using artificial sweeteners with this as they leave a strong aftertaste, and I have not experimented with stevia and cranberries as yet. If you want a little zip to your cranberry sauce, try adding a tiny bit of cinnamon or allspice to this at the cooking stage.