I decide to blog about this cranberry sauce since we received rave reviews from dinner couple of days ago. Some suggested I should bottle and market it. I preferred to share it.

I thought I will not be cooking this Christmas since everyone is not around, and then I was roped in to organise an appreciation dinner for 100 people.

Our wise Pastor reminds us that some may not eat Ham and Turkey was ordered at the last hours.
To accompany the meat, I volunteer to make cranberry sauce from scratch as I am not a fan of can/bottled jellied cranberry sauce.

Next, I went searching for cranberry and happy to find fresh cranberry at the "ang moh" supermarket.
Frozen cranberry work too if you can't get fresh ones.

The instruction at the back of the cranberry package indicates 1 and a half cup of sugar to which I use only 1/2 cup sugar and substitute the rest with freshly grated pineapple. (very ripe one)
Can't skip sugar altogether as it will end up with a runny texture.

I toss in some chopped bits of pineapple as I like the sauce with some bite.

Since we are able to control the amount of sugar in the sauce and fresh pineapple and orange juice are added, the finished result is an excellent balance of sweetness and tartness.

Be warned though, you may not be able to stomach can/bottled cranberry sauce after cooking your own from scratch.


You will need:

1 bag of fresh cranberry (12oz)
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of pineapple juice
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 grated fresh pineapple
orange zest from 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier


Methods:

1. In a saucepan, boil the juices and sugar stirring until all the sugar dissolves.

2. Add the whole cranberry, grated pineapple, cinnamon,  and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to Low and simmer for 5 minutes without stirring.



3. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest and Grand Marnier.

4. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. Remove cinnamon stick and store in the refrigerator.


Cooks' Note:

• Canned pineapple may be used if you can't find the fresh one.
• These sauce make good food gifts.