# Have you ever made a cranberry sauce that people would eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069 "2008-11-23T03:52:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/41 "2008-12-03T19:27:20Z")
My grandma makes a cranberry sauce thats AMAZING. I’ll have to ask her for the recipe. At least, I think it’s cranberry. It might be some other similar berry. It’s actually my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/42 "2008-12-03T19:45:04Z")
I have gotten rave reviews for a recipe I found a few years back: 2 cups dry, fruity red wine (e.g. zinfadel) 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 5 2-inch wide strips of orange peel 3/4 cup sugar 4 slices of fresh ginger 6 whole cloves 2 cinamon sticks 1 12oz bag of cranberries Toss everything but the cranberries in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain out all the solids and dump in the cranberries. Boil until the berries begin to pop, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/43 "2008-12-04T00:58:56Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > My grandma used to make a great, simple one: > > 2 oranges > 2 large apples > 2 cups fresh cranberries > 2 cups sugar > > Her recipe said to chop the fruits together in a food chopper…whatever that is. I use a food processor, but you have to be careful not to over-chop, or it will get too liquidy. You want the fruit to be in little bits, not turned into pulp. > > Also, when it says to chop the fruit, it means the whole fruit…just toss the whole thing right in there, peel and all. > > When the fruits are chopped to the right consistency, stir in the sugar, let stand for a bit, and serve! It sounds weird, but it’s really really good. My husband’s family has a very similar recipe. We even got the “food chopper” (it’s a grinder that attaches to a tabletop–in my family, we had a larger one that we used to grind meat into hamburger) as a wedding present. My mother-in-law’s recipe is hilarious–it mentions such things as picking out the rotten berries from the cranberry bag, putting something under the grinder to catch the dripping juice, and the need to make it the night before instead of at the last minute “like your father does”. ---
**Author:** ![RedRosesForMe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/44 "2008-12-04T05:44:37Z")
My mom makes something out of this world with cranberries, although I’m not sure what you’d call it. Basically, it’s a jello mold but it’s fantastic. Some appropriate flavored jello (raspberry? cherry?) with pineapples, apples, dried cranberries and walnuts. I can get the exact recipe if you’d like (my guess is that there isn’t, in fact, a recipe, though). Way more fruit than jello, btw. It’s really really good. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2008, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/45 "2008-12-04T13:00:39Z")
I make it up every year, and every year I think its good and everyone else has a little taste because its Thanksgiving - they think its good too, but its relish, not a dish. No one actually EATS the stuff in quantity. Though this year I did go through half a quart jar of it - but I had ten people. Basics are cranberries and sugar. Then you want spices - cinnamon is traditional. I like ginger. Nutmeg works well, as does cloves. I like a little cardamom because its one of those “this is different” tastes most people can’t place. Orange juice or water work for the liquid - or bourbon, or all the above. I suppose a sweet wine would work. Brandy. Whiskey, lemonaid. The only problem with this is you can never make the same thing twice. ---
**Author:** ![bahimes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bahimes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bahimes)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/46 "2010-12-06T11:44:46Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > I adore [Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4176014), and I do believe others eat it, but I don’t pay much attention because I’m busy scarfing it down myself. > > Of course, it sounds horrible (cranberries, sugar, sour cream, onion, and horseradish), and it looks horrible (pepto pink), so perhaps not the best choice if people are rejecting standard cranberry sauce. But if you can get them to taste it - ah, it’s dynamite. I saute finely minced onion in butter with a sprinkling of salt, add the cranberries, simmer until they split, add sugar (while simmering) to taste. The salt, sugar and onions must balance. Never leftovers. ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/47 "2010-12-06T14:52:39Z")
Apparently I’m the hick, because I chop up raw cranberries, mixed with sugar, halved grapes, marshmallows, and Cool Whip… ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/48 "2010-12-06T15:53:09Z")
My mom makes a refreshing cranberry relish that the fam just adores. It has oranges and red jello (any flavor as long as it’s red) and some other things too. She puts the fresh fruit through a meat grinder so it comes out kinda chunky. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/49 "2010-12-06T16:06:31Z")
This drives my wife crazy. She makes cranberry sauce all the time, but everybody wants the canned jello version. One friend called hers ‘ghetto cranberry sauce’, with a smile though. She doesn’t make it highly seasoned, but people just want to hear the \. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/50 "2010-12-06T16:10:22Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > My Grandma made the best cranberry relish ever, I will have to dig up the recipie. It uses jello, cranberries, nuts, celery, oranges (peel and all) I make it every year. My grandma made something similar-sounding last year and this year (I’d never had it before), and I loved it! ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/51 "2010-12-07T05:27:57Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > My grandma made something similar-sounding last year and this year (I’d never had it before), and I loved it! Yup, made it again this year! it is: 6-8 OZ package red jello 4 stalks celery, processed 2 C cranberries, processed 1/2 C walnuts, processed 1 large orange, peel and all, processed fine 1/2 C (I think) sugar Make jello according to package “quickset” method, adding the sugar before you add the ice. Add remaining ingredents and stir well. Chill untill very firm. I need a new processor for Christmas, this just about killed mine this year! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/52 "2010-12-07T05:33:00Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > My friend makes the best cranberry sauce. I don’t know the exact recipe, but I think it’s just your basic cranberry/orange sauce with a healthy dose of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum. Ack! Thread-ja-vu! I was just about to post this exact thing! ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/53 "2010-12-07T20:07:52Z")
Oh no! It’s CRANZOMBIES! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/54 "2010-12-07T21:08:00Z")
> [@Pyper](#): > > Ack! Thread-ja-vu! I was just about to post this exact thing! Same here. I was about to say “cranberries+sugar” for me, only to realize, while scrolling through the thread, I had already said that. ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/55 "2010-12-07T21:17:44Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#): > > My favorite is cranberry orange relish. I might have a recipe around somewhere, but I usually improvise. It’s really simple–chop up a bag of cranberries and one or two oranges and some walnuts (maybe about a cup). Add sugar to taste (it takes more sugar than you’d think, so just keep adding it until it’s sweet enough). It’s tart and sweet and just divine with a nice juicy piece of turkey! I noticed that recipe on the back of the cranberry packages this year. ---
**Author:** ![gardentraveler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gardentraveler/32/3576_2.png) [@gardentraveler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardentraveler)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069/56 "2010-12-07T21:19:27Z")
Heh. I found my post too. But wanted to stop by to thank **janis** for posting her recipe. One of the families that we spent Thanksgiving with when we were kids always brought that salad and I’d been looking for the recipe for some time. I know what I’m making later this week. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-made-a-cranberry-sauce-that-people-would-eat/474069.md?page=2)