Growing up, there were two kinds of cranberry sauce people: canned or homemade . We always had a little of both to appease everyone. As my sisters and I have grown older, the debate has changed. Now, cans aren't even in the picture although the argument between relish or sauce seems to start the second Halloween is over.
At its simplest, cranberry sauce is a mixture of cranberries, water, and sugar cooked down on the stovetop for thirty minutes or so. Some folks get a bit more creative, adding warm fall spices, citrus, or a splash of liquor.
Cranberry relish, on the other hand, is raw and usually on the tart side. The most common approach to relish is using the food processor to blend cranberries, a little citrus, sugar, and even nuts to make a chunky, refreshing relish. Both sauce and relish can be as tart or sweet as you like, but some find relish a much more welcome antidote to the heavy spread on the Thanksgiving table.
We want to know how you go about it at home: Sauce or relish (or both)?
Related: What's Your Pick: Homemade Vs. Canned Cranberry Sauce?
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I make a sauce a few days before in the crockpot using a couple of bags of cranberries, one diced pear, apple cider, some POM juice, orange zest and chopped walnuts stirred in at the end.
I always prefer to make cranberry sauce but my hubby loves the jelly. Any suggestions?
I love the jelly but am going to try to make it for the first time this year.
We always did cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, and relish for Christmas. No compromise!
RELISH. We do the Oceanspray recipe (1 bag of cranberries, a whole orange and some sugar, combine in a food processor, let sit for a few hours) and I love it. Especially afterwards on turkey sandwiches.
RELISH!!!!!!!
however my cousins harbor a deep love for the canned jelly, so we do both.
I've always been in the jelly camp, but am hostessing my first Thanksgiving this year and might attempt a small batch of sauce. I like rosebud's idea since it can be made in advance and warmed up on the day of.
I like the sauce baked instead of stove top because the texture is superior and the cranberries get glossy and candied. My mom uses this recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grand-Marnier-Cranberry-Sauce-497 but I don't like organge and it is too sweet.
So, reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup split evenly between white and brown sugar and spinkle some Chinese five spice powder on it.
Wonderful.
Cranberry sauce always - when we were little, we loved the canned stuff. Now we're hooked on fresh (with a little bit of orange zest)!
Alexis: we'll have a great recipe coming up on the kitchn soon!
Fitness Judy: do a little of both--always nice for leftovers.
Remember that Todd English "Boned, Rolled and Tied Turkey" recipe that everyone was trying 10 years ago? Although the turkey itself was very tasty, the amount of work required and the final look of the "Turkey Larva" made it a try-it-once-and-move-on recipe. However, the recipe's suggested Cranberry Compote is now part of our tradition:
http://www.marthastewart.com/331786/cranberry-compote
Erm, I kind of love the jelly from the can. We usually have some sort of homemade sauce too, but my family can't quite quit the can.
Last year I made a fancy rosemary cranberry gelee, but when great-grandma asked me to pass the jello, I realized she was right--it was just jello.
I prefer sauce (cranberries, two oranges, an apple for pectin, and pomegranate seeds at the end), but I also like my grandma's relish, which is a bag of cranberries blended with a whole orange and just a hint of sugar. Delicious.
We make a lovely chutney, not sure if that's a sauce or a relish. Also be careful, cranberries have tons of pesticides. We never buy Ocean Spray for that reason. We only buy organic.
My family only used to do the canned jelly, and I was the only one who enjoyed the flavor. Now as an adult I take charge of the cranberries and make the sauce myself, from a SUPER simple Martha Stewart recipe. http://www.marthastewart.com/316142/basic-cranberry-sauce