Cranberry Apple Sauce

This cranberry apple sauce is the one thing I’m always asked to make at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. We used to be a canned cranberry sauce family for as long as I can remember, but I think I started making some iteration of this four or five years ago. Maybe more. I used to comb through recipes, even back then. While I definitely slather it on my roll, I have a tendency to just eat it by the spoonful. It’s the perfect combo of sweet and tart without being completely loaded up with sugar. It also has a consistency I like. It’s chunky without being too chunky. I’m really exact, aren’t I?

I’ve tried various types of apples, but Braeburns are my current favorites. Two apples and a whole bag of cranberries yields that amount, maybe two to two and a half cups. See? Exact. We always have leftovers, and I’m always okay with that. I’m also a purist. No juice. Just water. I like the simplicity of the apple and cranberry and other stuff.

Ingredients

• 12oz bag of fresh cranberries
• 2 large apples (approx. 1lb)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon ginger
• 1/4 cup water (or more for desired consistency)

Preparation

1. Peel, core, and chop the apples into small pieces.
2. Place all ingredients, except for the water, in a large saucepan on medium heat.
3. Stir to combine.
4. Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries start to pop and apples start to breakdown.
5. Add the water and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer until all cranberries have popped and desired consistency is reached.
7. I taste test a ton when making this. Sometimes I want more sugar. Sometimes more ginger. It totally depends on the apples. You really can’t go wrong.