Why homemade? Because it’s so much better than the canned stuff. The canned stuff is good enough but why not give it a whirl? You’ll dazzle your holiday guests when you present this.
4 12-oz. bags cranberries
3 cups white sugar
3+ cups cold water
2 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin (Knox brand is good)
In a 4 – 5 quart heavy pan, place the cranberries, sugar and 3 cups of cold water to a boil, stirring this until the sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pan until all the berries have burst, stirring occasionally. This takes anywhere from 10 – 15 minutes.
Into a fine-mesh sieve, which you have placed over a larger glass bowl, pour the pot contents in and let stand until all the juices have strained through – this takes about 30 minutes. You may have to press on the solid berries until more juice gets extracted.
Stir the gelatin with 1/3 cup cold water and let stand 1 minute to soften. In a small pan, bring 1 cup of the strained/drained cranberry juice to a simmer then add the gelatin mixture and stir it until just dissolved. Add this mixture to the rest of the cranberry liquid and stir well. Pour this sauce into a lightly oiled or greased decorative bowl or mold – I even used a glass loaf pan one time and it worked fine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 12 hours.
When ready to unmold, run the top of a think knife between the edge of the bowl/mold and sauce. Tilt the bowl/mold and invert a plate over the mold then invert onto plate. Serve.
[…] Harris presents Best Kept Recipes: Cranberry Sauce posted at Best Kept […]