Cranberry sauce really doesn’t get the credit it deserves at the Thanksgiving table. Saying you can enjoy the Thanksgiving feast without cranberries is like saying you can enjoy French fries without ketchup. Technically, yes, but why would you? The bright red berries are the perfect sweet-tart foil for all of the heavy dishes that predominate the holiday table—just a small scoop of sauce sparks a flavor explosion in each bite. Your mashed potatoes taste richer, your turkey more savory.

There are worse offenses than serving canned cranberry sauce (though that ringed red log does scream 1970s). But as availability of fresh cranberries has increased, many Thanksgiving hosts have discovered how easy it is to cook fresh cranberry sauce at home. Most recipes require little more than dumping the ingredients (usually spices and sugar) into a pan and waiting for the berries to burst. So many flavors play nicely with cranberries—especially cinnamon, ginger, and orange—that you can feel free to experiment a little.

See what else you can do with the tart little cranberry. Try these dessert recipes:

• Orange-Cranberry Pie

• Cranberry Tart

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Categories: Holidays & Parties | Tags: Cranberries, Cranberry Relish, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Salads
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