It's that time of year, time for the most angelic (or devilish, opinions vary wildly) tart-sweet side! Office potluck is on Wednesday, and I volunteered to bring the cranberry sauce.

Post your best homemade cranberry sauce recipes. You canned (or NO!) cranberry sauce enthusiasts need not apply.

Last few years, I've done Alton Brown's recipe- but my wife has tasked me with using agave nectar instead of honey, and also straining it to get out the skins. I've got a food mill that should do nicely.

Key questions:
1. Should I add some gelatin? Just a 1/2 tsp or so? Last few years weren't as firm as I'd like
2. What spices? Nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, orange zest?
3. Anyone ever added heat (1/8 tsp cayenne pepper)? I've had cranberry-cayenne jelly on toast, and it was delicious.
4. The juice component - popular choices are OJ, 100% Cran, or Pom. What'cha like in yours?

I don't recall what we've done before, but do you want a sauce or a gel? Sauces aren't really going to be as set as a jel. If you set it like a gel, you may have to eat it cold if you use gelatin. I guess if you set it up with cornstarch, you could still eat it warm.

Bag of fresh Cranberries simmered in enough simple syrup to cover. Puree half and chop up the rest, mix the 2 in a bowl and add a tbl or so each of minced sweet onion and seeded jalopeno a tbls or two of finely chopped pineapple or tangerine, a couple of drops of cherry extract and some chopped up cilantro. Better if made the day before ..chopped pecans or walnuts are not a bad addition either. If its too runny add the gelatin. Leaving out the cherry extract and adding some cherry jello powder works well also.

aggiespartan said:

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I don't recall what we've done before, but do you want a sauce or a gel? Sauces aren't really going to be as set as a jel. If you set it like a gel, you may have to eat it cold if you use gelatin. I guess if you set it up with cornstarch, you could still eat it warm.

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Cornstarch is a better idea.

I generally serve it cold, but like the option for hot.

Cranberry Salsa
Process fresh cranberries + typical salsa ingredients per your preference
Jalapeo and or serrano
garlic
onion
cilantro
salt and pepper

add agave, golden syrup to soften/sweeten as needed

left overs:
serve on cream cheese
straight up salsa
freezes well

I don't really have a recipe...
Cranberries boiled in orange juice & maple syrup til popping, then the liquid is thickened up with cornstarch. Add orange zest. Voila.

No cinnamon, cardamon, etc?

Nope

Pectin is what sets a cranberry sauce, and cranberries have a lot of it. If your sauce is runny, it's because you didn't cook it long enough to drive off enough water, or cooked it too long and destroyed the pectin. Usually, five minutes of boiling after the cranberries start to pop is enough.

I would not use cornstarch if you want a firmer setting sauce. It will make it cloudy, and won't give you the right consistency. Use gelatin instead.

I really like the Pioneer Woman's recipe with Maple syrup. I've been making it for the last several years and haven't gotten any complaints yet.

Here's what I went with:
*24oz cranberries
*1 cup amber agave nectar
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1 cup pomegranate juice
*1 cup fresh OJ
*Zest of 1 orange
*0.25 tsp cinnamon
*0.125 tsp allspice
*0.125 tsp cloves
*0.25 tsp salt
*1/2 packet of Knox unflavored gelatin

Boil all except geletin for 5 mins. Bloom the gelatin in 2 tbsp of pomegranate juice and add it once the pot gas cooled to 170ish. Process through a food mill and mix thoroughly. Tap on container for about 60 seconds to get air bubbles out.

It's jelling in fridge now. Will post review tomorrow.