It was the best of times...Mom and me in the kitchen chopping, slicing and dicing and Dad working from the To-Do list I gave him...he hung two clocks for me, plus new curtain rods, fixed a broken dining room chair and put a dimmer switch on the kitchen chandelier...and that was just day one! Dad can fix anything and everything - and so he did. The only thing he didn't get to was the piece of driftwood that I want made into a towel rack...guess that'll have to wait until his next trip.
You should have had this recipe a week ago - my humble apologies - but it got lost in the long list of recipes we made for our T-day feast. This isn't anything like canned cranberry sauce - which is why I love it! It should go without saying that the mister hated it - but I like to point out the obvious...he was coerced into taking a taste...after several seconds of face-pulling the mister dashed to the sink, spit it out and then proceeded to wipe his tongue with a paper towel. If only I'd thought to put Tabasco on the paper towel!
Flavor. That's his objection. But I know you'll love this every bit as much as I do. Fresh cranberries, oranges, figs, onions, raisins, sugar, spices, cider and a bit of brandy...it's sweet, tart, tangy and all around zippy and I've yet to take a bite of turkey without it. This makes a nice big batch so you can bottle it and pass it out to your T-day guests (next year - sorry!) as a favor...or keep it all for yourself. Folks...this is 4 dangs worth of goodness and just look at that beautiful color! Treat yourself and make some to eat with the last of your leftovers!
Mom and Dad flew home - the Thanksgiving guests are long gone and it's all quiet on the Western front. It's not easy for my parents to travel and I'm so glad they made the effort because having them here made our Thanksgiving perfect. Thanks to everyone who came and graced our table (they were also great sports about our pitiful Christmas light "lighting ceremony" that we made them suffer through - in the rain!) We love you!
Cranberry Chutney - Pots and Pins
**When I first posted this recipe I left off the sugar - fortunately a very kind reader let me know of my mistake...so I corrected the recipe only to make a typo! The recipe is NOW correct - and it calls for 2 cups of sugar! Sorry!**
2 bags (12 oz.) fresh cranberries
2 oranges, unpeeled, seeded and finely chopped
2 sweet onions, finely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 cup raisins
1 package (14 oz.) dried figs
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup brandy
Put all in a big pot and bring to boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the chutney has thickened. Pour into hot sterilized jars. Makes 10 cups of chutney. Serve on turkey, chicken or pork.
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy
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One year ago: Turkey-Cranberry Strudel
Two years ago: Vanilla Panna Cotta
