cranberry sauce

T’was the week before Thanksgiving and time to talk about how much we all lovvvve that cranberry sauce. After all the fuss ya’ll made last year, I went ahead and served it. It’s not like me to let my convictions crack under pressure, but I do a lot of things in the spirit of hospitality. (Like refrain from licking the spoon when I cook.) It seems a certain generation still has an affinity for cranberry sauce with the lines from the can still on it. Do me a favor, eh? If you’re going to serve the canned cranberry, at least mush it up in a nice little glass bowl or something?

Every year we always have to recount the time that my grandmother sat down, took a bite, and declared to God and the nations, “This is the worst dressing I ever put in my mouth.” The year was 1986. I could’ve said “the worst cranberry sauce” to make it fit with my post better, but that’s not the way the story goes.

Moving on. A busy mom of five little ones sent me this recipe for The Official Amy’s Humble Musings Annual Cranberry Post, 2006 edition. It looks promising, but you’d better get started now. It looks like it’ll take you a week to make it.

But before we get to our cranberry recipe, first a little joke. It goes like this: A turkey farmer was always experimenting with his breeding practices in order to produce a better turkey. His family was fond of the leg portion for dinner and there were never enough legs for everyone. After many frustrating attempts, the farmer was relating the results of his efforts to his friends at the general store get together. “Well I finally did it! I bred a turkey that has 6 legs!” They all asked the farmer how it tasted. “I don’t know,” said the farmer, “I never could catch the blasted thing!”

I’m glad my day job has no end.

Cranberry Sherbet from Marcia Adams’ Cooking from Quilt Country–an excellent and beautiful Amish cookbook.

1 pound cranberries (4 cups)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 quarts plus 1 cup water
2 tsp. unflavored gelatin (I use one box orange flavored Jello)
6 cups sugar (I use 5 cups)
2 tbs. cold water
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 egg whites

In a large saucepan, combine the cranberries, 1 cup of the water, and 2 cups of the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook just until the sugar is
dissolved and the berries pop open. You can help them along by mashing them a bit with a spoon as they cook. Cool slightly, then puree in a food processor or force through a sieve. Add the orange and lemon juices to the puree.

Meanwhile, boil the remaining 2 quarts of water and the remaining 4 cups of sugar for 20 minutes in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. Dissolve the gelatin in the cold water, mixing well with a fork, Add a little of the hot sugar syrup to the gelatin mixture, then stir back into the remaining hot syrup. Add the cranberry mixture and blend. Pour into refrigerator tray or two 13×8 inch flat pans and freeze until mushy, about 30 minutes.

Pour into a large bowl, breaking the mixture up slightly. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold about 4 cups of the cranberry slush into the whites until combined. Then add this to the remaining cranberry slush. Pour back into pans and freeze about 30 minutes longer, until the mixture is frozen about 1 inch in from the edges of the tray. Stir the sherbet again, then freeze until firm.
When completely frozen, soften slightly, pack in plastic containers, and store in the freezer until serving.

I just dump the orange Jello into the syrup and mix it. I use two large (9×13 size) Rubbermaid Take-Along disposable containers to freeze the mixture in and then combine it down to one to store the sherbet in when it’s finished. As I remember it takes much longer to freeze than Ms. Adams says; it’s a lot like making bread–not very hard but it takes a lot of time. Also, as Natalie Dupree says: “This makes a gracious plenty.” Our family of seven can eat for a couple of weeks on this till we are sick to death of it. It is very sweet and a little goes a long way, but it sure tastes great with the pumpkin pie!!

After 4th of July, I think I like Thanksgiving the next best. How about you?