Bogged Down

I’ve been bogged down with pots, pans, knives, forks, bowls, cutting boards, spice jars, cookbooks, appliances, chairs, table, sideboard…the list goes on. Reinstating the kitchen after construction is a much lengthier job than moving it all out. (See my earlier post, Kitchen Archaeology for a taste of some of that construction/destruction).

However, it’s been over three weeks since I put the last of the raspberries from the garden to infuse in the white balsamic in order to produce a lovely fruit flavored vinegar to use in my cranberry sauce (see Pruning Interrupted). So, I made some time in my reorganizing schedule to make the sauce. It seemed appropriate since cranberries are boggy fruits. 🙂 Lame joke, I know, but still true – cranberries grow in bogs.

Since I was there at the kitchen counter, I added in two more of my favorites for a trio of cranberry condiment recipes. They’re all simple, easy to assemble and delicious – nothing like the jarred or canned varieties.

The sorting and reorganizing can wait!

CranRaspberry Sauce
My favorite! Some similar recipes add cinnamon sticks and orange zest, but I think these mask the tangy flavor of the raspberry vinegar.

• 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 10 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries

Put the raspberry vinegar, water and sugar into a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar, then add the cranberries. When the cranberries begin to pop (around the time it returns to a boil), cook for another few minutes until all the berries have popped (about 5-10 minutes) and the sauce begins to thicken. If you are using frozen cranberries, there is no need to defrost, but the cooking time may be longer. Turn the heat off and pour into a container. Cool – the sauce will thicken some more. Seal and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Cranberry Horseradish Relish
This is a hot, spicy no-cook recipe that requires at least a day in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld and mature.

• 10 oz. fresh cranberries (do not substitute frozen)
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons creamed horseradish sauce

Chop the cranberries; the size of the chop depending on how chunky you want your relish. Add the juice from 1/2 lemon and the sugar. Stir to mix thoroughly. Once the sugar dissolves, fold in the creamed horseradish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Cranberry Cumberland Sauce
I’ve substituted cranberries for the red currant jelly in this take on traditional Cumberland Sauce.

• 10 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange (or substitute 2 clementines)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup port
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dry English mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Zest and juice the orange. Juice the lemon and add this to the orange juice and its zest in a small pot. Add the port, water, mustard (mixed with a little of the liquid to dissolve first) and the ginger. Add the sugar and turn on the heat. When the sugar has dissolved and it is beginning to boil, add the cranberries. When the cranberries begin to pop, cook for another few minutes until all the berries have popped (about 5-10 minutes) and the sauce begins to thicken (it will thicken more when it cools). Take off the heat and pour it into a container. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

We’ll be using these for our British nod to American Thanksgiving on Thursday – though perhaps with Turkey schnitzel (from slices of turkey breast meat).

I’ll be making them again for the Christmas roast turkey! If you have any of the CranRaspberry or Cumberland sauces left over, they make an excellent basis for Cranberry Mustard – simply add an equal amount of Dijon mustard to the sauce. Fantastic with turkey sandwiches!

My Posts

• Kitchen Archaeology
• Pruning Interrupted

Related articles

• Homemade Cranberry Sauce (contemplateandcommunicate.wordpress.com)
• Spiced Cranberries with Port (thehungrybelgian.com)