Apple Cranberry Sauce

Do you love cranberry sauce as much as I do? We can’t get enough of it around here during the holiday season. I’ve always loved sweet condiments, and as far as I’m concerned, Thanksgiving turkeys NEED cranberry sauce. I save my gravy for the mashed potatoes! And there’s never a reason to use canned sauce. Homemade apple cranberry sauce is not only easy and fast to prepare, but the results taste a million times better than anything from the store. I’m all about cutting corners when it makes sense, but this is not one of those instances. There’s absolutely no excuse not to make homemade apple cranberry sauce. Trust me.

Fresh cranberries have a wonderful sour tartness and crunch that creates an amazing base for this sauce. Sweet Stemilt apples and pears add the perfect balancing complement in terms of both taste and texture, taking this version of the classic sauce to a whole new level. Lemon zest adds a bright, fresh note (without adding more tartness from lemon juice). Chopped pecans, while optional, are a wonderful addition that add crunch and a nutty depth of flavor. Topped off with a bit of ground cinnamon, and this sauce tastes like the holiday season. Check out the recipe and video below!

Recipe Notes:

I like cooking the cranberries for longer than the apples and pears since they start with a firmer texture, and therefore take longer to break down. Apples and pears both cook rather quickly, and I prefer that they retain a bit of their texture when the sauce is finished. It won’t hurt anything if you throw them into the pot at the same time as the cranberries. Both apples and pears will oxidize (turn brown) if you peel and chop them too far in advance. This is one recipe where some oxidation won’t matter, since everything will be a beautiful cranberry hue when the sauce is finished. However, if you’re good at multitasking, you can peel and dice them while the cranberries are simmering in the sugar syrup.

This will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week. However, it tastes best within the first few days (I noticed a subtle change after the 3rd day, mostly in texture). I recommend making it up to 48 hours in advance for best results.

Apple Cranberry Sauce

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Nutritional Information

Ingredients

• 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Stemilt Fuji Apple, peeled, cored and diced (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 Stemilt Red d'Anjou Pear, peeled, cored and diced (approximately 1 cup)
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 - 1 cup chopped pecans

This sweet and tart apple cranberry sauce with a hint of crunch is perfect for the Thanksgiving holidays!

Rate this recipe:

(10 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5)

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• Yield
  8-10 servings
• Prep time
  00:03
• Cook time
  00:12
• Total time
  00:15
• Cuisine
  American
• In Category
  Side Dish
• Level
  Easy

Instructions

1. Place the cranberries in a colander and thoroughly rinse them.
2. Pick out and discard any damaged or bruised cranberries.
3. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the water and sugar over medium-high heat.
4. Once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is simmering, add the cranberries, stirring to coat them with the syrup. Let the cranberries cook for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the chopped apples and pears. Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes, stirring periodically, until the cranberries are soft and have all popped open.
6. Stir in the lemon zest, cinnamon, and pecans, if using.
7. Remove from the heat. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving

• Calories: 144
• Fat Content: 1.7g
• Cholesterol Content: 0mg
• Sodium Content: 1mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 32.3g
• Fiber Content: 2.9g
• Sugar Content: 28.1g
• Protein Content: 0.4g