Cranberries make Autumn Official

Cranberry sauce is my favorite. It always has been. I remember being young and loving November because I would steal cans of cranberry sauce out of our cabinets and hide in my room to eat the whole can, by itself, with a spoon. Maybe you think that is slightly strange, but what can I say? I love cranberry sauce.
I haven't had real (that is homemade) cranberry sauce in many many years. Celebrating the holidays away from home, or in between several homes, makes it difficult to get to the cranberry sauce. This year, however, I felt the need to make my own cranberry sauce, and when I received a coupon from Earth Fare for a FREE pound of fresh cranberries, I really didn't have a choice. So now I can celebrate the season in true autumn fashion. Cranberries, fall spices, and deliciousness.


Below you will find my cranberry sauce concoction: a blend of tangy taste, classic fall sweet and spicy, with lots of flavor and happiness.

Fall Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients:
1 pound of fresh cranberries
1 peeled orange or 1 can of drained mandarin oranges, pureed
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1 apple peeled, cored, and diced
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2-3 tablespoons each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice
1 tablespoon cardamom powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:
Prepare all of your ingredients (dice apples, chop walnuts, mince ginger, puree oranges in blender/food processor until they are a smooth but pulpy liquid)

prepared ingredients

Heat 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water in a sauce pan until boiling, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. After it has boiled for a few seconds, turn the heat on simmer, add rest of ingredients, and stir well.

Just added everything!

Cover and let simmer for about 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour so that it can thicken

Finished chutney!

Enjoy!