Spiced Apple Cranberry Sauce

As much as I like mixing it up with homemade cranberry sauce, this cranberry sauce with apple, cinnamon, and cloves is the one I find myself making over and over again. I originally posted this recipe on November 24, 2010, and I have made it countless times since then. So easy and so, so good!

As a person with pets for most of my life, I feel as though I can share a secret fear of pet owners everywhere.

We are really, really, really worried our houses reek – especially because we usually have no idea if they actually do.

See, we’ve totally been there. We’ve stepped inside the cat lady’s house and felt our noses sting. We’ve been next door where the big stinky dog lives, and we lived the telltale eye-watering stench.

Heck, my dear sweet departed Angel was a big stinky dog, especially toward the end when I was afraid to bathe her because of her bad hips. When my friend’s adorable four-year-old exclaimed last summer, “She smells like hair!” I was pretty sure my fear of the reeking house had likely become a reality. Even before that, I’d take measures far beyond lighting candles and Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh. I’d be lying if I said I never sprinkled my beloved rose-scented Lush body powder all over Angel and frantically rubbed it into her gnarly hair right before company was due.

What does this have to do with Apple Cranberry Sauce, you ask? Well, Apple Cranberry Sauce simmering on the stove has a beautiful side effect. It makes your house smell like heaven. Like a freshly-baked apple pie served on fine linen with Brad Pitt by your side in heaven.

So light your candles, sprinkle the Pet Fresh, and for God’s sake bathe the dogs if you can. And then whip up some Spiced Apple Cranberry Sauce right before company arrives, just as your extra insurance against worry and stealth stench.

And have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Make ahead and freeze!

This sauce keeps perfectly in the freezer for up to two months. I love that I can make up a batch several weeks ahead of time and have one less thing to fret about during the mad rush of Thanksgiving dinner.

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Yield: About 3 cups sauce

Spiced Apple Cranberry Sauce

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 20 minutes

So much better than a can-shaped blob, this cranberry sauce recipe unites cranberries with a natural counterpart, apples. Add ground cinnamon and cloves, and not only will your mashed potatoes and stuffing have a delicious companion, but your house’ll smell divine, too.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple cider (can substitute water)
• 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and diced (I recommend a tart variety like Granny Smith or McIntosh)
• 3 cups (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, washed
• 1/3 – 2/3 cup sugar (plus possibly a little more, to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Zest of one small lemon (about 1 teaspoon)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the temp to medium-low and simmer until the berries have burst and the mixture has thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Let cool and serve.
4. May be refrigerated for two days or frozen for up to two months.

All images and text ©Kare for Kitchen Treaty.

Photos from 2010:

Kare

Kare is a vegetarian home cook living among carnivores. She loves creating irresistible and flexible recipes that help multi-vore families like hers keep the peace - deliciously.