With Thanksgiving just around the corner, cooks of all levels, ages, and styles are thinking about “the meal.” While turkey, no doubt, tops the list (make sure to brine it overnight for extra flavor and juiciness – a great combination includes water, kosher salt, brown sugar, oranges, lemons, fresh thyme, and rosemary), there is great ability to make the dinner uniquely yours by customizing some of the traditional sides, and leaving your friends and family remembering a singularly deliciously holiday feast.
Cranberry sauce is one of those sides. Here in Plymouth County, we’re blessed by an abundance of the berry, and so can afford to be generous in its offering and varied in its preparation. I’m planning to make a traditional cranberry sauce, but also to make Jezebel Sauce – a slight, Southern variation of the Thanksgiving staple that offers an extra kick and also works wonderfully as an appetizer paired with cream cheese or Brie and crackers. This recipe is also fun to make with kids, as they are fascinated by the bursting of the berries, and also the gradual thickening of the liquid (it's a great science lesson too). Best of all, this can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (if we only had two weeks!).
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Jezebel Sauce
(adapted from Southern Living)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 12 ounces of fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
Bring water and sugars to a boil, stirring often. Add cranberries, and return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped, and mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, and stir in marmalade and horseradish. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
