Whole Cranberry Sauce Inspired by Mom Burch

Mom and Pop Burch were Pepaw's parents.  Pepaw always missed Mom Burch's cornbread, but Granny never thought much of it, which means that she never learned to make it.  It has been said that Mom Burch made terrific cranberry sauce, but Granny liked jellied cranberry sauce and I always remember having the canned variety.  (Again, this means that Granny never learned to make Mom Burch's recipe.)  Sadly, Mom Burch passed before I remember tasting it and no one seemed to have the recipe.  Pepaw said that Mom Burch's cranberry sauce was loaded with berries and the sauce was both sweet and tart.  He also said that it had the best lingering taste of oranges, but he did not recall there being oranges in the sauce.  Not having many recipes from Mom Burch, I had to try to recreate it.

All of the recipes that I have from Mom Burch do not spare on sugar, butter, etc.  The ingredients are fresh and she would purchase the best available.  I remember a Christmas tree at Mom and Pop Burch's home that had a tinsel made of popcorn and cranberries, so I know she had access to fresh cranberries.  That is where I started.  I've tried extracts, juices, and fruit pulp.  Orange/tangerine zest seems to give the best results of what I've tried so far.  In fact, I'm satisfied with the recipe.  Here is how to make it:

Fresh Cranberries in the Pot with the Zest of a Tangerine

Select a pot that will give plenty of room for stirring.  Pick through the berries and discard any that are damaged or severely discolored.  Rinse the berries well.  For roughly one pound of fresh cranberries, add the zest of one orange or tangerine.  (I made ribbons of zest but, since Pepaw did not remember seeing any orange in the sauce, I believe Mom Burch grated it if zest was what she used.)  Squeeze the juice from the zested citrus into a coffee cup and add water to make a full cup.  (Avoid pulp.)  Pour the liquid in the pot along with an equal amount of sugar.  The water/juice/sugar mixture will come about half way up the heap of berries.  (If you want a less jellied sauce, add a bit more water.  Perhaps 1/4 cup.) Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and stir constantly.  Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and continue to stir for about 10-15 minutes.

Laura stirring up cranberry magic!

The berries will sound like popcorn at times as their skins split open, and the smell of cranberries and orange will make the kitchen smell great!  Pour the cranberry sauce into a Pyrex dish and allow to cool for 20 minutes or so before covering and placing in the refrigerator overnight.

Cranberry Sauce beginning to "gel."

It will look dark in the dish.  But, once you stir it, it will glimmer like bright red jewels on a plate....or spoon.

Still pretty bright and tasty days after Thanksgiving!

 I like to think this is what Pepaw remembered.  In any case, it is really good.  You could put it through a mill to remove seeds and pulp if you want to have cranberry jellied sauce without the fruit, but I've not tried to do that yet.  Also, this makes a quick, inexpensive, and tasty dish that compliments many things at a pot luck.  You won't go back to the canned stuff....unless Granny finds a way to misguide you!

A better picture of the color.