Fresh cranberry sauce is so quick, simple and fun to make and tastes light years better than anything you would buy in a can. Most cranberry sauce recipes are loaded with sugar and corn syrup, while this recipe cuts the unnecessary sugar and uses a less refined sweetener instead. If it is not quite sweet enough for you, try adding some unflavored liquid stevia, a drop at a time, once the sauce has cooled, to your desired level of sweetness. Enjoy with your holiday feasts or with baked organic brie. Happy holidays!
Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce
1/4 C water
1/4C maple syrup
6 oz fresh cranberries
Zest of 1/2 a lemon (in thick strips using a vegetable peeler)
Zest of one mandarin orange (in thick strips using a vegetable peeler)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan add the water and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches a boil. Add the cranberries, lemon zest, and orange zest and reduce heat to a low simmer, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes or until the berries have burst (careful, they are hot) and the sauce has thickened. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lemon juice and season to taste. Stir well to combine. Remove the lemon and orange zest and allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until it is time to serve.
Variation: this is fabulous with whole grain toast or scones at a holiday brunch! Tip – make both the sweet and savory variations the day before your holiday celebrations
Holiday Cranberry Jam
3 Tb water
1/4C+ 2 Tb maple syrup
6 oz fresh cranberries
Zest of 1/2 a Myer lemon (in thick strips using a vegetable peeler)
Zest of one mandarin orange (in thick strips using a vegetable peeler)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
Juice of half a Myer lemon
Pinch of salt
In a large saucepan add the water and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches a boil. Add the cranberries, lemon zest, and orange zest and reduce heat to a low simmer, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes or until the berries have burst (careful, they are hot) and the sauce has thickened. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lemon juice, and salt and stir well to combine. Remove the lemon and orange zest and allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until it is time to serve.
*If you can’t find Myer lemons, regular lemons are fine. Myer lemons are just a little sweeter and less acidic.
How did the cranberry sauce and cranberry jam turn out for you? Let us know in the comments below and on Facebook and Twitter. We love hearing from you!
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