If you've ever cooked with highbush cranberries, if you're like me, the first thing you did was probably try to imitate cranberry sauce. If you want an easy version that tastes like the real thing, read on.
The flavor of the two fruits is kind of similar, but highbush cranberries are juicy, juicy, and make a brilliant red liquid and coulis. Regular cranberries really need to get cooked or pureed to become cranberry sauce like we think of in the U.S. and the naturally cook into a thick mash.
Highbush cranberry juice is much more liquid, so to get it anywhere near the same consistency you'd probably need to cook down a thick coulis (fresh fruit puree) or thicken the juice with something, which is what I do here.
I don't really love using cornstarch much, which is something that people might reach for. Don't get me wrong, it works, for this I'd rather reach for a natural thickener. Apple sauce is plentiful this time of year, and naturally sweet so it's a shoe-in, although I try to not use too much as it will lighten the color of the sauce, which I think looks the best red/blush and not too pink.
Other than that everything is straightforward. There's a little orange zest, a pinch of spices, enough grated ginger to make it a little spicy (if you're like me, you can tone it down a bit) and, the secret to a lot of my fruit recipes: a glug of vinegar. In a perfect world, you'd use highbush cranberry vinegar, but white wine vinegar is fine too. The vinegar does a few things: it stabalizes the mixture, and will stop it from fermenting, but moreso it's there to underscore the tartness and add some zip to ensure it can stand up to things like fatty pieces of meat. There's some white wine in the mix
Use the sauce anywhere you'd use cranberry sauce, and if you want a velvety texture like I sometimes do, puree it smooth in a blender to break up the apple particles. If you want it thicker, add another spoon of apple sauce.
Highbush Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups (1 lb) highbush cranberries
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar*
- ½ cup dry white wine*
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup apple sauce or more to thicken to taste
- Zest of ¼ an orange
- ½ oz piece of ginger grated*
- Tiny pinch each ground cloves and allspice
- 2 oz honey
Instructions
- Pulse the berries in a food processor or otherwise mash them up very well, then mix with the wine, water and vinegar and infuse overnight (stirring well a few times if you can remember).
- The next day, pass the mixture through a food mill, or strain through strainer, pressing out the juices.
- Combine all ingredients in a small pot, heat and bring to a simmer whisking, until thickened.
- If you want it more thick, add some extra apple sauce, but don't add too much or it will dilute the color.
- From here the sauce can be made and refrigerated for a week before serving, or canned. Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
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Paylig
Could this be made with dried berries? I was gifted a large quantity from last year's harvest and don't know what to do with it all...
Alan Bergo
No I'm sorry, these fruit should not be dried beforehand as cooking them with the seeds in will make them very bitter.
Caitlin
The ginger has an Asterix next to it but no note that I can find... Can you substitute with dried ginger powder?
Alan Bergo
Yes just add a little ground ginger to taste. Go slow, 1/8th tsps at a time, whisking until you like the flavor. You won’t need a lot.
gregory lewis
in my 70s and been making and eating it as long as i can remmber. i pick over berries,and wash thoroughly.place in an enameled kettel and add water untill you can just see it below the berries.place on stove and cook untill skins pop.mash and press thru a strainer,letting as much pulp go through as possible.measure using one cup sugar to one cup pulp,cook slowly untill it sheets from a spoon.skim and put into sterilized jars and seal place in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
Alan Bergo
That sounds great. Thanks for Sharing Gregory.
Clive Lewis
What do you mean "sheets from a spoon" ?
Tracy Coonce
Can you leave some full berries in the sauce for looks/will it affect the taste?
Alan Bergo
No don’t do that.
Talia
Do you blend up the seeds?
Alan Bergo
No, it'll make it bitter.
Heidi
Haven’t tried this YET, but pulsing the berries, wouldn’t the seeds inside get chopped up too?
Alan Bergo
No. They’re too juicy. See my post on them there’s a video of making coulis. Works like a charm.
Zuzanna
Can you make this in larger batches and can it?
I love high-bush cranberries!
Alan Bergo
That should work, personally, I'd probably freeze it though.
KAYLA
I’m about to try this recipe with Viburnum edule. Hopefully the wet dog smell doesn’t ruin it!
Alan Bergo
Ooooof. I can't stand the pronounced wet dog smell of them. You're on you're own there! They look so inviting from a distance.
Kayla
It actually turned out very good! The wine must have cancelled out the smell, it’s perfect! 😄 thanks for the great recipe