Top 3 Cranberry Sauce recipes

I have to be honest with you, I didn't even like cranberry sauce until about 2 years ago. I suppose I am a late bloomer. But I don't really recall it playing a regular role in our Thanksgiving dinners and my earliest memory of it was seeing it slid out of a tin can into a bowl and then mashed around with a spoon. Perhaps that image scarred me and my eyes spoke to my tastebuds telling them that they could not possibly like something that maintained the shape of the can it was once in.

Whatever the reason, I remember countless thanksgiving dinners in my adult life where I would noticeably cringe when the bowl of cranberry sauce would get handed to me. There was NO way any of that was coming anywhere near my plate or more importantly my delicious turkey.

Then a couple of years ago, I was given a sandwich made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey (which by the way is the best part about Thanksgiving in general) and for some reason I didn't even ask what was in the sandwich, I just opened wide and sank my teeth in. My tastebuds shrieked, but not with horror, they were shrieking in sheer delight. The turkey in combination with the tartness of the cranberries was amazing. My mouth watered in between bites at the anticipation of the flavour combination that awaited me.

That was the day I realized what I had been missing out on for all of these years. I am now officially a cranberry sauce lover.

The list of cranberry sauces that I want to make is long. There are endless flavour combinations and just when I think I have found my new favourite, I stumble upon another recipe that turns me upside down.

At the moment, these are the 3 that are top of my list.

Cranberry Sauce with Juniper and Orange

The description of the flavour of pine being balanced by honey and brown sugar sounds like fall in a jar. I also love that this sauce remains tart in flavour.

Cranberry Sauce with Cinnamon and Cloves

I love cinnamon, especially in the fall months. It is a flavour that makes me feel warm and cozy even when it is cool and dark outside. The combination of apple and orange with the cranberry is a twist that makes this sauce worthy of a try.

Moroccan Cranberry Sauce 

I have found that people either love or hate preserved lemon. I fall into the 'love' category, so really anything that includes preserved lemon intrigues me as I am always curious about new ways to incorporate it into dishes.

Happy Thanksgiving and save me some leftover turkey!

Top Holiday Preserving Recipes

I have a long list of things that I want to make over the Christmas break. Recipes that I have earmarked or bookmarked and that have just not risen to the top of my very long to-do list. But I have made an early New Years Resolution to myself that over the 12 days of Christmas I will try each and every one of these fantastic looking recipes.

Moroccon Preserved Lemons

Image from www.davidlebovitz.com

With Meyer Lemons in season, now is the time to knock this recipe off the list. I love his suggestions for uses in recipes and my mouth waters, just reading the description of uses.

Simple and Amazing Cranberry Sauce

Image from www.savorysweetlife.com

Be the best house guest ever and show up with home made cranberry sauce. I especially like the sounds of the optional rum in this recipe for an 'adult' version of the standard sauce.

Japanese Pickled Ginger

Image from www.uktv.co.uk

There is something about the flavour of ginger that works so well in the winter. The spicy heat that it brings to the palette - I just can't seem to get enough. I look forward to making this and having it on hand to eat almost like candy through the blistery months of January and February.

Carrot Cake Jam

Image from www.myrecipes.com

Any jam that claims to taste just like carrot cake is one that I have no power to resist. The combination or carrots, pear and pineapple sounds like it would be perfect on pancakes on Christmas morning!

What are the recipes you want to try over the holidays?

Perfect Fall Preserving

The view to my neighbours house across the street has been blocked from view for the last 6 months because the leaves of the maple tree that grows on the boulevard provide a nice cover. Well in the last few weeks as the leaves began to fall, their house started to appear almost as if the pieces of a puzzle were being put together.

In the last 48 hours as the winds pick up with the expected arrival of Hurricane Sandy the last remaining leaves that were hanging on for dear life fell and my lawn is a blanket of yellow and orange.

These blustery winds and cooler temperatures have me craving comfort food and I want to fill my house with the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. If you are having similar feelings, you may want to check out these great posts that have provided me with some inspiration for these fall days ahead of us.

Nectarine Butter - now nectarines might not be in season where you are but there are certainly a lot of great pears available and this recipe sounds like it would work with them as well.

Pear Slices Preserved in Whiskey - if the sound of that recipe alone doesn't start making you feel warmer all on it's own, read it again ;)

Cranberry, Orange and Port Sauce - a nice twist on Cranberry Sauce. This would make a great gift for the upcoming holiday season

Banana Jam - the addition of Vanilla made this jam for me

Pickled Grapes with Cinnamon and Black Pepper - I could just picture these on my next cheese plate

What are your fall favourites?