Cranberry Zinfandel

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Cranberry Zinfandel by Gretchen Miller Neuman for Qorkz.

Cranberries.  This is a love it or hate it kind of dish.  

Cranberries are very tart berries that grow in bogs but are full of vitamins that would have normally been missing from a colonial diet such as vitamin C and manganese   This protected our pilgrim or separatist ancestors from scurvy and neurological ailments.  Better yet, they dried up beautifully in order to be stored for a long winter.  

Anyone who has had cranberry sauce realizes that there are a couple of ways to get it.  Canned jelly which is delicious and unnatural, showing the the ribs of the can.  This version while considered revolting to many people is awesome in many ways.  First?  It is spreadable.  Like on bread or toast. or shaken into a cocktail.  yes. into a cocktail an instant cosmo in your fridge.

The other type of cranberry sauce is more natural looking.  There are chunks of berry still visible. tastable, chewable.  But when push comes to shove still usable in the same ways as the jellied version, maybe more chewable but still tasty, nutritious and awesome.

Something so ubiquitous for the holiday must be tricky right?  Particularly if it starts in such a foul, astringent manner.   But the simple answer is NO! It is crazy easy.  You couldn’t make a simpler jelly if you prayed to.  So what do you need?

  • 1 bag of fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of zinfandel wine
  • the zest of half an orange (more if you insist)

Pick over a bag of fresh cranberries tossing out the creepy ones.  You know.. the ones that are shriveled or pale and bloated.  You don’t want those.  Add one cup of sugar, the zest of half and orange (I like fresh zest but also making it coarse verses fine.  Add one cup of Zinfandel wine.  Why Zinfandel?  That is a wine that has a rich jammy with flavors of dark fruits.  This makes it the perfect accompanimentto fresh tart cranberries.  This being said?  Don’t skip on the sugar.  You will need that sweetness against the astringent tartness of the berries.  Plus, when you are making a sweet sauce you need sugar to thicken this baby up.

Ok. Ingredients.  We got those.  How do you cook this?  Put everythinginto a pot and bring it into a bowl and stir periodically.  Bring it to a low boil and cook it there for five minutes.  Turn off and let cool until it is cool enough to poor into a lidded container.  Store in the fridge until ready to use on Thanksgiving or using in sandwiches and cocktails until finished.  With that much sugar in it, it will last until at least Christmas.  Maybe longer.  

Wine pairing?  Zinfandel obviously or add some sparkling wine and a bit of cranberry sauce in a glass for a fizzy cranberry cocktail!

You’re welcome.