By michael vivar
Thanksgiving is upon us. Families and friends will be gathering. Whether or not everyone is openly affectionate with each other, love and care is always shown through food.
A favorite Thanksgiving side is cranberry sauce. When imagining love and care, does anyone think of the sound of a grinding can opener followed by a "shlorp-thump" of gelatinous purple issued from an steel cylinder?
Absolutely not. Here is unqualified affection in the form of cranberry sauce made from scratch. This recipe is a treat for nine people.
3/4 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon orange zest 1/3 teaspoon salt 1 12 ounce bag cranberries 2 tablespoons triple sec
Combine water, sugar, orange zest and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to ensure the sugar and salt dissolve.
Turn off heat. Slowly stir in cranberries making sure the skin doesn’t break just yet.
Turn on heat and bring mixture back to a boil. As soon as the mixture is roiling, reduce heat to a simmer.
Simmering for five minutes will cause most of the berries to pop open. Turn off heat and stir in triple sec. This is when the consistency can be made as smooth or lumpy as preferred.
Transfer to storage or serving bowl and let cool. The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to seven days. Before serving after refrigeration, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
If you’re using electric coil burners, set two elements at high and medium temperatures. This will give more immediate control over temperature adjustments. Gas, radiant and induction heating should only require one cooking element.
One of the best moments preparing this cranberry sauce recipe is adding the triple sec. The richly sweet aroma just blossoms. Put your face close to the saucepan and waft it in for a blissful second before entering Thanksgiving pandamonium.
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