Well, let me tell you, this here cranberry mandarin orange sauce, it ain’t nothin’ fancy, but it sure is tasty. You just need a few things from the store, and you’re good to go. I always make a big batch of this stuff around the holidays. It goes good with everything. And I mean everything, even my old dog likes a dollop of it from time to time.
First thing you gotta do is get yourself some cranberries. You know, those little red things that are all tart and such. The fresh ones are best for this cranberry sauce recipe, but if you got the frozen kind, those will work too, just thaw them out a bit first. It does not make a difference, I tried both.
Then you need some mandarin oranges. The little ones. Ain’t nobody got time to be peelin’ a bunch of big oranges. These little fellas are easy to peel. You’ll need the juice from those oranges too, so don’t go throwin’ away the peels just yet. And if you don’t have those, just use regular oranges, but the little ones are sweeter. And I like sweet things. Always have, always will.
- Fresh cranberries, about a bag, maybe 12 ounces
- Mandarin oranges, a few of ’em, enough for about a cup of juice
- Honey, the real stuff, not that fake sugar water
- A little cinnamon, just a pinch, like your grandma used to say
- Water, just plain old tap water is fine
Now, you get yourself a pot, not too big, not too small. Just a medium one will do the trick for this cranberry mandarin orange sauce recipe. Throw all them cranberries in there. Then you gotta squeeze the juice out of them mandarin oranges. If you got one of them fancy juicers, well, good for you. I just use my hands. Gets the job done. And it’s less clean up.
Pour that orange juice right into the pot with the cranberries. Then you add some honey. Now, I like things sweet, so I put in a good amount. You can put in however much you like, though. Just taste it as you go. Then, a pinch of cinnamon, and there you go. You are almost done!
Put that pot on the stove, on medium heat. You don’t want it to boil over and make a mess. Just a little simmer, like when you’re makin’ soup. Stir it every now and then so it don’t stick to the bottom. Nobody likes burnt cranberry sauce. It is very important to stir!
You gotta cook it for a little while, maybe 10, 15 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when them cranberries start to pop and get all soft. And the sauce will start to thicken up a bit. It is not going to be like that jelly stuff you get in a can, though, not a chance! This is the real deal.
Once it’s done, you just take it off the heat and let it cool down. You can put it in a bowl, or one of them fancy jars if you want to feel like a city folk. It’ll keep in the fridge for a while, maybe a week or so. But around here, it don’t last that long. We eat it up too fast. It’s that good! Everyone who tries it says it is the best cranberry sauce!
You can eat this cranberry mandarin orange sauce with anything. Turkey, chicken, ham, whatever you’re havin’. I even put it on my toast in the morning sometimes. It’s good on ice cream too. Don’t knock it till you try it, just like my mama always said.
This ain’t no fancy recipe, like them chefs on TV make. This is just good old-fashioned cranberry sauce, with a little twist. It is easy to make and easy to eat! And, well, that’s all there is to it. Hope you like it!
If you want to make it a little different, you can add some other things to it. Some folks like to put in nuts, like pecans or walnuts. You can try that if you want, but they do not grow on trees around here. Or you can add some other fruits, like apples or pears. I tried that once, but it just wasn’t the same. I think cranberry mandarin orange sauce should be just that, cranberry, mandarin orange, honey, and a little cinnamon. Nothing more, nothing less. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
And one more thing, if you want it to be really smooth, you can strain it through a sieve after it’s cooked. That will get out all the little bits of cranberry skin and seeds. Some people don’t like those, but I don’t mind them. It’s up to you. And if you’re serving it to company, maybe you want to make it look all nice and pretty. But if it’s just for you and your family, who cares? It all tastes the same.
So there you have it. My cranberry mandarin orange sauce recipe. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and it’s sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. Except maybe that picky eater nephew of mine, but he doesn’t like anything. Don’t be like him. Be open minded. Try new things. Even if it is just a new cranberry sauce. So try it today, it is the best.
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