Okay, so Thanksgiving’s just around the corner, and I’ve always been the one stuck with bringing the cranberry sauce. Usually, I just grab a can, but this year, I was feeling adventurous. I thought, why not try making it from scratch? And not just any cranberry sauce – I wanted to jazz it up a bit. That’s how I ended up making cranberry sauce with mandarin oranges.
Getting Started
First off, I hit the grocery store and picked up a bag of fresh cranberries. I’d never actually bought fresh cranberries before, so that was a new experience. Grabbed a few mandarin oranges too. I figured their sweetness would go well with the tart cranberries.
The Cooking Process
Back home, I rinsed the cranberries under cold water, picking out any that looked a bit off. Then came the fun part – zesting and juicing the mandarins. I love the smell of fresh citrus, so this was pretty enjoyable. I ended up with about half a cup of juice and a tablespoon of zest.
- Dumped the cranberries into a saucepan.
- Poured in the mandarin juice.
- Added the zest.
- Then, I added sugar. I went for about a cup, but this really depends on how sweet you like your sauce.
I turned the heat to medium and got things simmering. The cranberries started popping, which was kind of satisfying to watch. It only took about 10 minutes for the sauce to thicken up. I kept stirring it occasionally to make sure nothing stuck to the bottom.
Cooling and Serving
Once it was thick enough, I took the sauce off the heat and let it cool down. It thickened up even more as it cooled. I gave it a taste, and wow, it was a game-changer! The mandarins added such a nice, bright sweetness that balanced out the tartness of the cranberries perfectly. It was way better than the canned stuff, that’s for sure.
I served it up at our early Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a hit! Everyone loved the homemade touch and the unique twist with the mandarins. A few people even asked for the recipe, which made me feel like a real chef. If there are any left over, I may pair them with turkey, pork, chicken, and ham. They taste really good.
So yeah, that’s my little kitchen adventure making cranberry sauce with mandarin oranges. It was surprisingly easy, and I’d definitely recommend giving it a try. It’s a simple way to add a personal touch to your holiday meal. Plus, you get to say you made your cranberry sauce from scratch, which is pretty cool, right?
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