Cranberry Sauce - From Bog to Table

happynutritionist by happynutritionist
Last updated: 01/26/2012

Ingredients from a Cranberry Bog in Maine and a Farm in Lancaster, PA to Our Table

Come along with me to Maine, where my recipe for Cranberry Sauce starts with a stop at a Cranberry Bog where berries are gathered, sorted with an antique Cranberry sorter, taken home to my kitchen, where they were made into delicious all-natural, healthy, Cranberry Sauce...2 years in a row.

Delight in the delicious flavor of Cranberry Sauce made not with sugar, but with a delicious natural ingredient from another vacation location that we like to visit each Spring for our wedding anniversary, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.



Claudia a/k/a happynutritionist
Updated 1/26/12

Cranberry Bog on Highway 1 in Maine

See Google Map Below for Location

As we were traveling the roads of Maine a couple of years ago, just driving wherever the road would take us, we saw this patch of red, and stopped to take a closer look. It was there that we met a husband and wife who operated a small cranberry farm. They had just finished harvesting large, plump cranberries from a few bogs on their land. This picture is after harvesting.

Health Benefits of Delicious Cranberries

Imagine a little red berry that may help fight/prevent cancer, age-related diseases like loss of memory, heart disease, ulcers, and even cavities. Sound to good to be true? These are among the health benefits attributed to the Cranberry...that delicious side dish on your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table. Click here to read more, then come back so we can travel to Maine, and get the main ingredient for our Cranberry Sauce.



Low-Bush Cranberry, Alaska




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Map a Route to the Cranberry Bog

Here is the location of the County Road Cranberry Bogs that we discovered during our travels, if you use the zoom features, you should be able to see the bogs. You zoom by using the "plus" sign in the upper left corner, and can move the map around by putting the curser on the map, holding down the button on your mouse, "moving" the map, or use the arrows in the upper left corner.

Antique Cranberry Sorter

The owners of the farm, realizing that we were interested in how they processed the berries, took us inside to a room where they showed us their remarkable antique cranberry sorter. They have used it for many, many years to sort all of their berries...picking the bad berries from the batch one by one, sorting out the good into portions. They were in the process of sorting berries when we were there, the same way they have done for so very many years.

Another View of Cranberry Sorter

Here is another angle on the same sorter, we really appreciated their kindness in letting us take a look at this, and then we took a short tour of the rest of this old family owned and operated cranberry farm.

Big Bag of Freshly Sorted Cranberries

And here is the large bag of very large, plump cranberries, that we purchased from our new-found friends...each about twice the size of any fresh berries I've picked up from our local supermarket. They traveled well for the rest of the trip, and were put in the freezer just as you see them here in this bag as soon as we got to our home in NJ, waiting for Thanksgiving, which was only a few weeks away. They freeze well, and provided cranberry sauce for 2 Thanksgiving and 1 Christmas family gathering.

Do you make your sauce or buy pre-made?

Added November 2010

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1. Preparing the Cranberries

It's as easy as can be to make Cranberry Sauce, we'll go step by step. First, check the berries you plan to cook for any bad berries or foreign material, you may want to do this in a colander, give them a good rinsing to remove any dust.

Prime Pacific Trading Stainless Steel Colander Set

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2. Getting Ready to Cook

Take out your favorite pot...I have used Farberware for years. Obviously, you want a pot that is big enough to hold the amount of berries you are going to cook.

Add the berries, and just enough water to cook them down, which doesn't take long. The water you add is going to be part of the sauce, I don't cover the berries with water, as I don't want the sauce to be too thin.

3. Cooking the Cranberries

Bring the water and berries to a boil, and then adjust to a medium boil. One of the fun things about cooking cranberries is hearing them "pop, pop, pop" as they burst during the cooking process. You won't be cooking them long, so stay with them, stirring occasionally. Oh, and be aware that we keep everything in the sauce, this recipe is for whole-berry cranberry sauce.

There are different ways to cook cranberries, I can only share mine, and you can find other recipes here on Squidoo or in this recipe book.

Cranberry Cooking for All Seasons

Amazon Price: $15.24 (as of 02/13/2012)Buy Now
Used Price: $4.04

Book Description:

Are you always searching for creative, original recipes? Do you enjoy eating healthy foods? If so, you will love this colorful, high-quality cookbook, featuring cranberries as the star attraction in 125 innovative recipes. Here are easy-to-follow recipes for meat and poultry dishes, sauces, desserts, breads, cakes, stuffing, relishes, beverages, and preserves. Plus, background and nutritional information: historical facts and tidbits, beautiful harvest photos, and the latest studies on the cranberry's many health benefits. Endorsed by the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, Cranberry Cooking For All Seasons is sure to be a hit with cooks across the country. A "must-have" for every kitchen-from Thanksgiving through summer's end!

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4. Sweetening the Sauce with Honey

Another place we love to visit is Lancaster, PA, and when we do, we stop at a farm along the way, or visit Millers where they sell organic and natural foods...all are Amish owned. There I purchase Wildflower Honey made right there in Lancaster. This is what I use to sweeten my Cranberry Sauce, adding a unique flavor to it...and everyone seems to love it!

I can't tell you exactly how much to use, it depends upon how many berries you use, and how sour or tart the berries are. A general idea - if you use 5 cups of berries, start with 1/2 - 1 cup of honey. Add, stir, and taste, then add more if needed, until it tastes just a bit too sweet, because when the sauce cools, that tart flavor comes out more..cranberries are naturally quite sour.

Important!

Did you know...

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This is a great way to buy items in bulk that you cannot get in your supermarket, or that cost less by shopping this way.

Where to Buy Organic Honey Online

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5. Is it done yet?

Once the berries have cooked down, and you like the flavor, your done cooking. It shouldn't take more than 20-30 minutes depending upon cooking temperature.

It's now time to decide whether you are going to can your sauce, or cool the cranberry sauce in the refigerator to serve for a meal...I like to make mine the day before it will be served so it is nice and cold.

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6. Serving your Cranberry Sauce

I put my sauce in clear, glass serving or storage bowls so that the beautiful color of the berries shows through, then cover with plastic if they do not have a lid, and put in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The sauce becomes more firm as it cools, more the consistency you would expect of Whole Cranberry Sauce, and will be ready to serve when you are ready to eat.

Enjoy!

Norpro 10-Piece Nesting Glass Mixing/Storage Bowls with Lids

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Video - How to Make Cranberry Sauce

In this video, they use brown sugar, orange juice, and even port wine! But what I liked most is that this will give you a visual of what I've been explaining in words. Enjoy.
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Newman's Own Organic Cranberries 

Newman's Own Organics Cranberries, 4-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6)

Amazon Price: $21.00 (as of 02/13/2012)Buy Now

Review:

"These are awesome cranberries and they are cheaper here than in other larger whole foods type places. I like that there are individual packets so they don't get dried out. Perfect!"