Persimmon & Cider Cranberry Sauce

 

Most traditional cranberry sauce recipes rely on a full cup of sugar to balance out the tart cranberries. If you're looking for a naturally sweet alternative, this recipe uses ripe persimmon and apple cider to bring out subtle, fruity sweetness. For a little extra sweetness, try adding a touch of maple syrup or honey—or reduce some additional apple cider into a syrup for an even deeper flavor. Enjoy any leftovers with pancakes, yogurt, oatmeal, as a sandwich spread, or on crackers with cheese.

Yield: About 3 cups and can be doubled or tripled for larger gatherings

Ingredients:
12 oz (about 3 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries  
2/3 cup apple cider 
1 ripe Hachiya persimmon or 2 ripe Fuyu persimmons (they should be like jelly inside)
Salt

Optional add-ins:
1 cinnamon stick, burned cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom, ground cloves, allspice, ginger etc
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Zest from 1 orange

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, apple cider, and a pinch of salt. Add any optional spices or zest if desired.

  2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries pop and the sauce thickens, about 10-15 minutes.

  3. Remove from heat, squeeze the fruit of the persimmon out of the skin, chop the skin, add it and stir. Let the sauce cool; it will continue to thicken as it cools. Serve warm or refrigerate for up to a week.

Consider steeping a couple burned cinnamon sticks in cider for a few hours and cook the raw cranberries in that. Then reduce the rest of the cider to a syrup and stir some into the finished sauce if you would like a sweeter cranberry sauce.