Much to the disappointment of my teenagers, we will indeed have cranberries on our Thanksgiving in some way, shape or form.
They don't know it yet... but they're going to love them. Just like I do now. Now being the most important word in that sentence. You see, I didn't think I'd like them either. I spent my whole life thinking I probably hated them. They didn't look all that appetizing, and of course, you have to remember that as a small child, barely able to see over the edge of the table, I thought cranberries only came in one form... can shaped with ring lines on the sides from the indention's of the can!
I not only became enlightened in my mid-thirties to the incredible goodness of cooked cranberries, but I'm hoping that my readers will give it a try this year. Cranberries are so affordable, so brilliant and beautiful on the table and really, truly, very delicious!
When I make them this way I improvise with dried, powdered spices as I don't typically have whole cloves and allspice. I only use about 1/2 t of each because I don't particularly love the taste of cloves. Do some taste tests and see what you think. Play with the recipe and make it your own!
Cranberries4 c (12 oz. bag) fresh cranberries
1 t dried orange peel or a fresh strip 1X3"
3/4 red zinfandel wine
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
5 whole cloves (tiny little things)
5 whole all spice
1 cinnamon stick
Boil the syrup by putting everything in the saucepan except the cranberries. Bring to a boil and reduce it to 1 1/2 cups of thick syrup. Add cranberries and cook about 4-6 minutes until they are all burst. You can serve this warm or cold.
