Alaska Cranberry Sauce

By Chef Therese Gorsich

Wild Cranberries in an Alaska forest.

In early fall Chef Therese ventured forth to gather Alaska’s wild lowbush cranberries. Working with her harvest, she crafted this simple cranberry orange sauce. The berries, ruby red and high in antioxidants, are a seasonal treasure found here in Alaska and are used by local cooks in sauces, cakes, pies, chutneys and more. This sauce, of course, goes well with roast turkey and holiday leftovers, and it makes a nice gift.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups/12 oz Cranberries
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup Honey
1 Orange; zest taken off in large strips with a vegetable peeler and juice squeezed
1/4 cup (a splash) Wine (any open bottle will do, red or white)
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. (If you poke the cloves into an orange zest peel it makes them easier to fish out of the sauce later.)
2. Place on medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble, then simmer for 5 minutes. About 2/3 berries should have popped by this point and the sauce will have thickened very slightly. (It will thicken more as it cools).
3. Remove orange zest, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Serve warm or at room temperature.
4. The sauce will keep refrigerated for up to 7 days.

The sauce will keep refrigerated for up to 7 days.

*Therese used wild lowbush cranberries (also called lingonberries), but any fresh cranberries can be used, frozen will also work, don’t defrost before using just cook them an additional 2 minutes longer.

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