LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Make an impact at Thanksgiving with Jalapeno-Lime Cranberry Sauce


Photo Susie Iventosch

Since you still have a day or two before Thanksgiving, there's plenty of time to make homemade cranberry sauce. Cranberries are readily available in the produce section of your favorite markets this time of year, and this recipe is a breeze to make! We love to barbecue turkeys all year long, especially in the summer, so we stock up on extra fresh cranberries and freeze them. Then we make the sauce as we need it. I've never had too much luck finding frozen cranberries in the stores, although for the very first time this year, I was able to find a couple of bags in the freezer section of my grocer.

When it comes to making cranberry sauce, you really just need to follow the recipe on the back of the bag of cranberries, but it's fun to create your own variations. The basic recipe calls for cranberries, water and sugar and to that you can add almost anything. You can use fruit juices or Port as part of the liquid and you can add other fruits like pears or apples, or even nuts such as pecans or pistachios. Spices add a nice touch and cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg are all great options. But, over the past several years, we've really come to love the one we make with brown sugar, lime juice and jalape�os the best. If jalapenos are too hot, simply substitute poblanos or Anaheim chilies.

INGREDIENTS

1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries (find them in the produce section)

1 jalape�o, remove stem, seeds and veins, and finely dice

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup lime juice

3/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients into a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until everything is mixed in and sugar is melted. Reduce heat to low and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should begin to thicken a bit. Remove from heat and cool completely. Once cooled, it will really thicken up. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. It lasts for months in the refrigerator, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!