Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without Cranberry sauce, all those juicy berries gently bubbling away and melting down with sugar and nutmeg. The smell from this mixture sings out Christmas and festiveness and its one of the quickest, easiest recipes that I have.
Now as much as I love my turkey smothered in cranberry sauce, I also have an extreme weakness for apple sauce. When it comes to Christmas day dinner I just can’t decide and usually end up with both on my plate. So this year I decided that it was time to stop with all this sillyness and just make my own sauce that had the best of both worlds: cranberry sauce with apples and nutmeg. Let me tell you now – I am never going back to shop bought cranberry sauce or just cranberry sauce on its own. From now on my Christmas sauce will always be cranberry and apple with a dash of nutmeg and a generous grating of orange zest.
Not only is the sauce the best Christmas sauce I have ever made but it also makes the best Christmas present. With little jars at the ready and a few tags the recipe can be turned into a great homemade foodie gift.
To make sure the sauce will keep well, I always sterilise my jars first by either putting through a hot cycle in the dishwasher or putting into a pre heated oven (150 degrees) on a baking tray for around 5 minutes. I make sure the sauce is still piping hot before I transfer to the jars (using a metal funnel) and then screw on the lids.
As the sauce cools it creates a vacuum and ensures a tight seal on the lids. if unopened the jars should keep for around 6 months in the cupboard. Once opened they will keep in the fridge for around 4 weeks.
So this really is a great DIY Christmas present:
it can be made well in advance, it adds that extra personal touch and its something that everyone can enjoy on Christmas day 🙂 Also, great paired up with a jar of my fig and balsamic chutney or spiced pear and cider chutney 🙂
If you also happen to be stuck for ideas for your Christmas shopping, then check out my Christmas gifts for foodies – jam packed full of present ideas for the food lovers in your life.
Other Christmas recipe ideas
- Christmas coleslaw
- Christmas soup: celeriac and potato
- Honey glazed prawns starter
- Spiced pear and cider chutney
- Fig and apple chutney
- Cucumber canapes
- Sprouts in gorgonzola cheese sauce
- Cranberry mince pies
- Frangipane mince pies
- Baileys Irish cream with coffee
- Easy Christmas cake recipe
- Christmas cake muffins
- Sugared pecans and chocolate stars
Cranberry, Apple and Nutmeg Sauce
Ingredients
- 600 g cranberries
- 400 g baking apples; cored peeled and chopped
- 400 g light brown muscovado sugar
- Juice from 1 orange
- 250 ml water
- 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in one large pan, mix well and put on the hob on a medium heat.
- Bring to the boil then allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes or until apples are soft and cranberries have burst.
- Once simmering the pan ca be pretty much left to do its own, just an occasional stir is all thats necessary. After 30 minutes use a masher to help mush down any larger pieces of apple or un-burst berries. Continue to simmer, allowing the liquid to reduce, until you are happy with the consistency.
- If you plan to make up jars of cranberry sauce then make sure your jars have been sterilised (either in the dishwasher or in an oven at 150 degrees for 5 minutes) and transfer into the jars whilst the sauce is still hot. screw the lids on right away so a tight vacuum seal will form as the sauce cools. The jarred cranberry sauce can be stored in the cupboard for up to 6 months and once opened in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.
- If you plan to eat that day or week then once the sauce has cooled, transfer to a dish or container, cover and keep the fridge until needed.
Nutrition
Download the nutritional information for this recipe here
**Estimated nutritional information per serving of cranberry sauce and per 100g of Cranberry sauce. If you want find out more about how the information is calculated and the sources used, please refer to my Nutrition Information Guide.
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Oh Christmas is definitely not Christmas without cranberry sauce, I couldn’t agree more. Your recipe sounds wonderful with the addition of apple and nutmeg. Commenting as BritMums baking Round-up Editor.
Thank you Julie!! Yes I cant go back to just plain old cranberry now – at the very least it has to have a dash of nutmeg in there 🙂