Mama C's Fabulous Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. Every year I cook for 20 even if only we have 5. I don't know how to do it any different. A 22 lb. turkey. Four homemade pies and everything with fresh, real and whole ingredients. No scrimping of diet substitutes on this day. Actually ever. But especially not on Thanksgiving. This year will be a little bit different. Due to the schedules of my kids, it makes more sense for me to load up the kitchen and go to them. And that means, planning ahead and preparing what I can. Today, canned 10 half pints of my fantastic cranberry sauce! Now, I was a child of Thanksgiving out of the box. I think my mom just got tired or didn't know different herself. Therefore, my kids and I grew up with the jellied cranberry sauce. I do still like it and to be honest, my adult children, especially Amanda, still look forward to the canned shaped jellified thing that the knife slips right through. One year, I taught myself how to do what I think is better! I hope you do too. Now....you can make this on Thanksgiving day or make ahead and can. And as you know by now, my recipes are simply suggestions and trust your taste. I start with fresh cranberries.

Rinse them off and put them in a pot. Add sugar. I like my sauce slightly tart. Remember you can always add sugar but you can't take it back out. Put the heat on medium low and stir in your sugar. I like that when all is said and done that my cranberries still resemble cranberries and not jam so be careful not to over stir. Once they start producing their own juice, add a cinnamon stick or two. Next, zest one orange right over the pot. Of course do this to taste knowing you can add more. Once that's done, squeeze the juice of that orange into your sauce.

Be careful not to get seeds in your sauce. Now...add just bit of ground cloves. Again to taste. When I make this Thanksgiving day, I like to use whole cloves, careful to count and pick them out when finished. For my project today, that would have been too much. Bring to a nice slow simmer. Today, I thought I had my sauce slightly too sweet but as my cranberries cooked down and added their own beautiful tartness, it was almost perfect. Your mixture may be a little runny. If so, (and it likely will be) dissolve a little corn starch in water and add slowly. Keep it simmering and add slowly until you get the consistency you want.

Place in a pretty bowl and put it right on your table! If you are canning, water bath for ten minutes. It tastes so good and smells just as good when you are cooking it. Now, I have 3 for me and 7 for gifts. It's great on your baked brie, turkey and always fresh carved turkey sandwiches! Let me know how this works for you and tell me your own variations!