Jalapeno Orange Cranberry Sauce
No, this is not the jellied style cranberry sauce that still holds the shape of a tin can (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Nor is it the plain sugar sweetened sauce. This homemade Jalapeno Orange Cranberry Sauce is your new jam! Both literally and figuratively.
Uses for Jalapeno Orange Cranberry Sauce
Yes, this is your turkey and dressing’s new BFF, but it is just as comfortable spread over a log of soft goat cheese with crackers or crostini. It will snuggle right up with bacon, turkey and mayo for a winter take on a BLT or you can try it instead of traditional jam with Vegan Grain-Free Biscuits for a sweet and savory treat alongside an omelet. We also recently discovered this good-on-everything condiment is the perfect American counterpart to lingonberry preserves alongside Swedish Meatballs. (ALERT: Recipe coming for these later this week.)
Ingredients for Jalapeno Orange Cranberry Sauce
Traditional cranberry sauce is very full of sugar. In fact, besides cranberries and water, that’s the only other ingredient. I have used maple syrup instead for a mineral filled natural sweetener. If you’ve been on this blog for awhile, you probably realize I love the flavor profile of orange and cranberry together (see this scone recipe for one testament to that) so I added the zest and juice of an orange along with a chopped jalapeno for just a little heat. Yes, you can certainly leave out the jalapeno for those who aren’t lovers of spice and in fact, until this last year, I’ve always split the recipe and made half with jalapeno and half without. But, guess which one gets devoured first? (Go ahead…guess and comment below to tell me what you think.)
Jalapeno Orange Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup maple syrup
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
Directions
- Look over the cranberries and remove any that are moldy or shriveled. Rinse well.
- Add cranberries to a medium saucepan along with maple syrup, 1/4 cup water, zest and juice of orange and chopped jalapeno if using.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Let cook until the cranberries pop and the whole mixture thickens. Transfer to a jar and seal. It will thicken even more as it cools.
- Store in fridge for up to 1 month.