Name: Cranberry Pear Sauce with Rosemary and Ginger
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: USA
Ingredients: 12 oz. fresh cranberries; 2 medium ripe pears, peeled and diced; 2 t. fresh ginger, peeled and grated; 3 T. fresh rosemary leaves, finely diced; 3 T. real maple syrup; ¾ cup water; Sea salt, to taste

This gorgeous, delicious cranberry pear sauce is sure to be a hit this holiday season! It is super quick and easy to make and does not include any refined sugar. Instead, it gets its sweetness naturally from ripe pears and a touch of real maple syrup. Once you try this recipe, you’ll never look at store-bought cranberry sauce the same.

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How do you get the bitterness out of cranberry sauce?

The most common way to ease the bitterness of cranberry sauce is to add sugar. But if we are trying to cut back a little on it ahead of the holidays, then the maple syrup does the job here. You could also use coconut sugar. Whatever you use, make sure it will dissolve quickly enough to not mean you have to cook the berries longer or the consistency might not be quite right.

What does cranberry sauce go well with?

Cranberry sauce is traditionally served with turkey and that makes it a favourite for Christmas lunch or for Thanksgiving in the US. It also works well to glaze meats or as a relish as well as to stuff the turkey or even chicken.

You can also use it in sandwiches which is a great use for it alongside leftover turkey. Another option is to add it to oatmeal or yoghurt or even on desserts – something simple like a bowl of ice cream will do well with a spoon of cranberry pear sauce added.

What you need to make Cranberry Pear Sauce

12 oz. fresh cranberries
2 medium ripe pears, peeled and diced
2 t. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 T. fresh rosemary leaves, finely diced
3 T. real maple syrup
¾ cup water
Sea salt, to taste

Kitchen equipment

Medium saucepan
Wooden spoon

How to make the recipe

Add cranberries, pear, ginger, rosemary leaves, maple syrup, and water to a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to boil and the cranberries burst open approximately 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium heat and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. While cooking, mash the cranberries and pears with a wooden spoon. Season with a pinch of sea salt and stir to combine.

Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool for 15-20 minutes before checking the consistency. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick. Taste and add more maple syrup for a sweeter sauce, if desired.

Optional: For a smoother sauce, blend one-half of the cranberry mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth. Stir puree back into the remaining sauce before serving.

Serve immediately or chill before serving.

Storing the recipe

Allow the recipe to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for a week after cooking.

You can also store it in the freezer and it will last for about 3 months.

Recipe tips

If you want a spicier version of the recipe, you can add some cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to the recipe. In other words – pumpkin pie spice! Half a teaspoon of spice blend will work well or you could add a small pinch of each of the four individually.

The pear works perfectly to balance the cranberries but you could also use apple if you like. Choose a sweet apple like Honeycrisp or gala to get the right effect.

Don’t be tempted to use dried cranberries as they won’t have enough moisture to work properly. You can use frozen cranberries if you can’t get your hands on the fresh ones.

Yield: 6 portion