Named triple berry for the use of juice, whole fruit and dried fruit, this healthy cranberry sauce is a family favorite modified over the years to switch from sugar to honey and reduced added sugars found in juice, marmalade and dried fruit.
Finding acceptable alternatives can be challenging but worth the effort. We love “St. Dalfour” 100% Fruit Spread Orange Marmalade, and look for unsweetened, unsulphured dried fruits also.
This cranberry sauce is of course good with Christmas turkey, but good year round with meat and poultry or as a pie filling or ice cream topping.
It stores very well in the freezer.
When I made it last year, I completely forgot to add any honey or extra sweetener at all and it was delicious with just the jam and fruit providing ample sweet balance to the tart cranberries. So from now on I will continue to make it that way.
MAKES: 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 10-12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup dried cherries, unsweetened or fruit juice sweetened (or cranberries or mixture of both)
3 tablespoon orange marmalade (look for unsweetened or fruit juice sweetened)
2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions:
- Combine cherry juice and honey in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until honey is dissolved.
- Add cranberries and dried cherries and cook until cherries soften and cranberries pop, stirring often for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in orange marmalade, orange juice, zest, and spices. Cool completely. Can be made three days ahead or frozen for one month.
Note, I usually make this in a small slow cooker. I just add all the ingredients in and cook in on low until it’s at the appropriate texture, stirring intermittently. The house smells amazing and it’s very low maintenance to prepare this way.
Robyn’s comment: The photo used here is from my Christmas table, 2015. This is a real family favourite recipe.
Sueson Vess
Sueson Vess is a professional chef, author/food writer and educator helping people eat healthier, especially those with food intolerances and others with chronic illnesses. She is passionate about nutrition and helping others achieve and maintain a “good for your health” lifestyle. There are always delicious, helpful and healthy solutions! Her focus is on “Foods with Benefits” – learning to increase delicious beneficial foods in your daily life. Sueson makes bone broth at Nature’s Own in North Carolina, and teaches cooking classes at FirstHeath and Duke Cancer Center. She is a regular contributing writer for Sandhills Naturally and Gluten-Free & More publications.
