This is a holiday favorite and makes a great homemade gift. For consistent flavor, use orange juice from a bottle instead of freshly squeezed oranges. I’ve thrown entire batches into the garbage and started over because the oranges were too bitter.
Makes 3½-4 cups
Ingredients
2-3 Tbsp orange juice
2 cups water
1 tart apple such as Granny Smith, Pippin, or McIntosh
3 cups (12 oz) fresh cranberries
1¼ cups (10 oz) sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
Directions
Peel, quarter, and core the apple, then chop into small pieces. Place in a saucepan. Sort the cranberries, discarding any soft ones. In a large pot combine cranberries, apples, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover partially. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, the apple is tender, and the cranberries have burst (10-15 minutes).
Transfer to a bowl and let cool before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Can be preserved with the water bath canning method.