This is an adaptation of a recipe from Kathy Gunst’s book Notes from a Maine Kitchen (Down East Books; 2011). Every year she makes this sauce and tweaks it just slightly—adding more ginger, or a different type of nut or fruit. Follow the basic recipe for Gingered Cranberry Sauce and add your own favorite flavors.
By Yankee Magazine
Nov 18 2013
Gingered Cranberry Sauce with Maple Syrup, Pineapple & Pecans
Photo Credit : Kristin TeigThis is an adaptation of a recipe from Kathy Gunst’s book Notes from a Maine Kitchen (Down East Books; 2011). Every year she makes this sauce and tweaks it just slightly—adding more ginger, or a different type of nut or fruit. Follow the basic recipe for Gingered Cranberry Sauce and add your own favorite flavors.
3 large oranges
1 cup pecan halves, or your favorite nut
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw)
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon very thinly sliced crystallized or candied ginger (optional)
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
Preheat your oven to 350° and set a rack to the middle position. Prepare the oranges: Use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of zest from one orange, then finely chop enough of this zest to yield 3 tablespoons. Use another orange to finely grate enough of the outer layer of zest to yield 1 tablespoon. Then squeeze all of the fruit to yield 1/3 cup of fresh juice.
Place the nuts on a piece of foil or a small baking sheet and bake until you can smell the roasted nuts and they’re just beginning to turn a light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Coarsely chop, and set aside.
Meanwhile, put the sugar and 2 cups of water into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook about 15 minutes, or until the syrup begins to thicken slightly and turn a gold color.
Add the maple syrup and cook 2 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook, stirring, until the berries begin to pop their skins, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the orange juice, rind, and zest; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the fresh and candied ginger and the pineapple and stir well. Cook another 5 minutes, or until the sauce appears slightly thickened (it will thicken more as it cools). If it appears too thin, remove the cranberries and fruit with a slotted spoon and boil down the liquid about 4 to 5 minutes over high heat, and then mix it all together again.
Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the toasted nuts. Cool. Transfer to a tightly sealed glass jar, and refrigerate up to a week before serving.