Cranberry sauce is a must have item on the Thanksgiving Day spread. And even if you don’t like it, you still have to have a little spoonful to liven up your plate. It’s like a bright flower hiding in the desert. For those that do eat the cranberry sauce, it’s a cool, tart bite that keeps your taste buds alive throughout the entire meal. (My favorite part about cranberry sauce is actually what I do with the leftovers! I make a cranberry barbecue sauce to make turkey sandwiches on game day.)

We always use the whole berry cranberry sauce from the can. And it is my brother’s pride and joy. Only he is allowed to open that can and pour it into the serving bowl. I used to have one of those battery-powered can openers, but this year he’s going to have to put a little elbow grease into the job and use a traditional can opener! Fun fact: Giada admitted to using canned cranberry sauce at her home on Thanksgiving on Food Network’s Thanksgiving Live!

For the blog I decided to try and make cranberry sauce from real cranberries. It is such a simple recipe requiring very little attention. If you want to avoid the can, this is an easy way to do it.

Whole-Cranberry Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 C fresh cranberries
• 1/2 C real maple syrup
• 1/2 C honey
• 1 1/4 C orange juice

Steps:

1. Combine ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes. (It’ll sound like popcorn popping!)
2. Skim the foam off the top. Bring to room temperature.

*This recipe is adapted from Constance at http://thefoodiearmywife.com/homemade-cranberry-sauce-for-thanksgiving/*