This Crockpot Apple Cranberry Sauce is spiked with orange and crystallized ginger. Fantastic with roast turkey!
The barrage of holiday recipes has started. For my Canadian and other non-American readers, I urge you to think of these recipes not just for American Thanksgiving, but for the whole holiday season. In fact, our family tradition is to eat turkey at Christmas dinner, complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes and a double dose of gravy. For my family, it's not a proper turkey dinner without our favorite
Maple & Brown Sugar Cranberry Sauce and my mother-in-law's Crockpot Applesauce. Our favorite cranberry sauce will be making appearance again this year. In fact, I think my kids would have "words" with me if I didn't make it. However, since variety is the spice of life (so they say), I thought it would be fun to have another version on hand for day-after sandwiches.
Between the family applesauce recipe and the pear applesauce I made this year, the crockpot (slow cooker) has always worked well for us. Not only does it fill the kitchen with the smell of the holidays, but it can be tucked away in the corner of the kitchen, freeing up stovetop space, which is at a premium when cooking a holiday meal. This version is filled with cranberries, fresh orange juice, orange zest and chopped crystallized ginger. As the apples cook down and the cranberries pop, the color takes on a ruby red hue. Before removing the sauce from the crockpot, be sure to taste it. If you find it to be too tart, just add an extra tablespoon or two of brown sugar to sweeten things up.
The apple cranberry sauce recipe:
Place all of the apple pieces and cranberries in a large bowl and stir in brown sugar and orange zest.
Pour orange juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture.
Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices and popping cranberries with a wooden spoon as they soften.
Stir in crystallized ginger. Taste and add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar if you find the sauce too tart for your liking.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Other cranberry sauce recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's Maple & Brown Sugar Cranberry Sauce
Two Peas and Their Pod's Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce
Ciao Florentina's Blood Orange Cranberry Sauce
Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium Gala apples peeled, cored, quartered & sliced
- 1 12 ounce package fresh cranberries
- 5 tablespoons brown sugar or more to taste
- 1 teaspoons grated orange zest
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger
Instructions
- Place all of the apple pieces and cranberries in a large bowl and stir in brown sugar and orange zest.
- Pour orange juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture.
- Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices and cranberries with a wooden spoon as they soften.
- Stir in crystallized ginger. Taste and add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar if you find the sauce to be too tart.
- Serve warm or room temperature.
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Wenderly
Love crystallized ginger! What a divine flavor combination not to mention stunning looking dish! Just beautiful.
Barbara | Creative Culinary
I think my favorite thing to make the past several years is cranberry sauce; there are so many options for flavoring it. This is one of my favorites...but you should not be surprised to hear I'm going to try adding a bit of vodka...sort of a 'cosmopolitan' cranberry sauce. I must say...just so you know and don't see me sloshed over the computer screen...I love to cook with the booze but rarely actually drink it. Except maybe on Friday.
Culinary Collage
I love homemade cranberry sauce and this recipe sounds wonderful!
Kristi Rimkus
Love the addition of ginger. It would add sweet and a little heat. Perfect with roasted turkey!
Cookbook Queen
I bet this does smell just amazing while it's cooking!! Can't wait to give it a try, cranberries are one of my favorites.
Jen at The Three Little Piglets
The ginger sounds like it be so good with the cranberries and orange!
Kulsum@Journeykitchen
I have never really cooked with fresh cranberries! But this sauce I can imagine would go great with so many things!
Nichol
Oh this sounds delish. I am a huge fan of cranberry sauce, any type and flavor!
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme
Fantastic cranberry sauce recipe, Dara. Love the addition of the crystallized ginger. Yum.
Liz
The crystallized ginger is a fabulous touch! I may have to make a teeny batch just for myself.....mmmmmmm.
Curt
That certainly does look delicious. I'll bet it's power packed with sweet flavor!
Courtney
This looks incredible!! Love the crystallized ginger!
A Canadian Foodie
This does look scrumptious - and I bet it tastes delicious right out of the bowl with a spoon! However, I have to admit, that when it comes to that old traditional meal, it is the plain old homemade cranberry sauce I crave - every time. I have made so many others... and am definitely tempted to make this one - but maybe to go with cheese as an appetizer. It looks that good - easily!
🙂
V
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, BTW!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc.
wow! This looks so wonderful Dara!!
Roxana GreenGirl {A little bit of everything}
I love crystallized ginger!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen
Looks gorgeous and I'm sure it tastes amazing.
Katrina
This sounds absolutely delightful!
Ashley@BakerbyNature
Growing up we only ever had the jiggly canned cranberry stuff, which I avoided like the plague. But this... this looks amazing! I'm on side dishes this Thanksgiving, so we will definitely be giving this a try!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen
You had me at crystallized ginger!
Betsy @ A Dancer In The Kitchen
I'm a fellow UT blogger! I finally got around to commenting and I just love your blog! I have some crystallized ginger in my pantry that I need to use up!