As the festive season is fast approaching my thoughts inevitably turn to food (ok, that’s not specifically connected to this time of the year, but that’s a different story) and what to cook, bake and generally prepare. There are things I can do without, like Brussels sprouts (sorry, not a fan) and others I will happily negotiate on, like goose instead of turkey. Then there are things that are a must for me like my grandmother’s biscuits and cranberry sauce. Before moving to this country I didn’t even know cranberry sauce existed, but ever since my first Christmas here, I wouldn’t have Christmas dinner without it. Making my own version adds something special to the table and even if it doesn’t get finished, it will keep for weeks in the fridge – just go through it with a fork to loosen it up before serving from cold.
- 400g fresh cranberries
- 200g caster sugar (feel free to add more if it’s too sharp)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1 large orange – using the zest and juice
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 100ml ruby port
- 20ml water
Here's how it's done...
- 1
Put all the ingredients into a large pot and let them bubble until the berries start to pop.
- 2
Give it a stir every now and again. All this will take about 10 minutes.
- 3
All this will take about 10 minutes. Give it a good, fast stir at this stage to crush the cranberries and taste it (HOT!!!) to check whether you might need some more sugar.
- 4
Transfer to a bowl to cool. Or – if you want to give jars as presents – straight into the prepared jam jars (washed in soapy water, rinsed and dried off at 140C in the oven).
- 5
The sauce will look more runny than expected, but will solidify once cooled.
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