Thanksgiving recipes typically center around the turkey, but the cranberries play an equally important role. You might have grown up using canned cranberries, but it’s a cinch to make homemade cranberry sauce! Sliced oranges and Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs add sweetness and texture for a twist on the classic sauce. We also like to add a bit of booze like port (or even brandy), but if you prefer to keep it alcohol-free, swapping in orange juice pairs up nicely too. Recipes using fresh cranberries start with the Thanksgiving sauce, but we have a hunch once you try the tart sweet combo of cranberries and California Figs, you’ll be jonesing to add them to scones and muffins as well. Then again, this cranberry sauce with dried figs would be equally good on a cheese plate or slathered onto grilled cheese.
California Fig-Cranberry Sauce with Oranges and Port
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 cup Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs chopped, stems removed
- 1 1/2 cup ruby Port or orange juice
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp orange zest finely grated
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup fresh orange sections drained and cut into bite-size pieces
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except orange sections in large saucepan. Bring to a full boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until berries burst. (Sauce thickens when chilled.) Cool. Transfer to bowl, cover and chill. Stir in orange sections. Sauce can be prepared up to 1 week ahead. Stir in oranges the day sauce will be served.