This is so easy and so intensely flavorful and beautiful, you’ve got to try making it!
There is absolutely no comparison between this and canned cranberry sauce (which is STILL great for the kids) and once you make this, you’ll never go back.
This particular recipe has been adapted from Gourmet’s Jellied Cranberry Sauce, edited by Ruth Reichl in 2006.
Also, this is wonderful because you can do this, entirely, 2 or 3 days in advance and literally pop it out when you’re ready to sit down to dinner!
THAT will totally give you that “money in the bank” feeling when you’re running through your list of things-to-do in your mind!
Cranberry Sauce
4 (12-ounce) bags (12 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed if frozen, picked over
3 1/4 cups sugar
3 1/4 cups cold water
5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
10 Cinnamon Sticks
2 Tablespoons Cloves, whole
1 Orange rind
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Cloves
Combine cinnamon sticks and whole cloves in a coffee filter or a square of cheesecloth and tie closed.
Stir together cranberries, sugar, cinnamon and clove packet, orange rind and 3 cups of water in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, bring to a simmer, and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until all berries have burst, about 15 minutes.
Pour mixture into sieve set over a heatproof bowl or into a colander lined with layered cheesecloth and set over bowl and let stand until all juices have drained through, about 10 minutes. You should have 3 cups juice; press on solids if necessary to release more juice, then discard solids.
Stir together gelatin and remaining 1/4 cup water in a medium bowl and let stand for 1 minute to soften.
Bring 1 cup cranberry liquid to a simmer in a small saucepan (OR in the pan you originally used, to lessen cleanup), stir in the gelatin mixture, and stir until gelatin dissolves. Return to medium bowl and add remaining cranberry liquid. Stir well and pour into mold.
Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.
To unmold sauce, set mold in a larger bowl for 5 or 10 seconds to loosen it, then invert a serving plate over mold and invert mold onto plate. Carefully remove mold.
Try my Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving this year! You will love it and so will your guests!