Gingered Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup, Pineapple & Pecans
Photo Credit : Kristin TeigThis is an adaptation of a recipe from Kathy Gunst’s book Notes from a Maine Kitchen (Down East Books; 2011). Every year she makes this sauce and tweaks it just slightly—adding more ginger, or a different type of nut or fruit. Follow the basic recipe for Gingered Cranberry Sauce and add your own favorite flavors.
Yield:
6 cups (10 to 12 servings)Ingredients
3 large oranges
1 cup pecan halves, or your favorite nut
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw)
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon very thinly sliced crystallized or candied ginger (optional)
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350° and set a rack to the middle position. Prepare the oranges: Use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of zest from one orange, then finely chop enough of this zest to yield 3 tablespoons. Use another orange to finely grate enough of the outer layer of zest to yield 1 tablespoon. Then squeeze all of the fruit to yield 1/3 cup of fresh juice.
Place the nuts on a piece of foil or a small baking sheet and bake until you can smell the roasted nuts and they’re just beginning to turn a light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Coarsely chop, and set aside.
Meanwhile, put the sugar and 2 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook about 15 minutes, or until the syrup begins to thicken slightly and turn a gold color.
Add the maple syrup and cook 2 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook, stirring, until the berries begin to pop their skins, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the orange juice, rind, and zest; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the fresh and candied ginger and the pineapple and stir well. Cook another 5 minutes, or until the sauce appears slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools). If it appears too thin, remove the cranberries and fruit with a slotted spoon and boil down the liquid about 4 to 5 minutes over high heat, and then mix it all together again.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the toasted nuts. Cool. Transfer to a tightly sealed glass jar, and refrigerate up to a week before serving.
