For anyone preparing to embark on the cranberry sauce making journey you should know that your basic cranberry sauce recipes contains only three ingredients: cranberries, water and a sugar/sweetener of some kind. The fun begins when you add your own personality to the recipe by tweaking and adding to the one or more of the 3 ingredients. You can replace water with orange or pineapple juice and or substitute brown sugar or maple syrup for the sugar, well you get the picture.
You don’t need a doctorate in fruit-ology to pick out good fresh cranberries. They typically come in a 12 oz to 1 lb. bag, be firm to the touch, should be bright to dark red, shiny and plump. They’re high in vitamin C and fiber and are especially high in antioxidants. You can store your fresh cranberries in your refrigerator for up to two months or freeze them for up to a year. Approx. 12 oz. of fresh cranberries will net you about 3 cups of whole cranberries or 2 1/3 to 2 1/2 cups chopped cranberries.
The words of this author reflect his/her own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Orthodox Union.