Cranberry Sauce

R E C I P E S

Cranberry Sauce

By Edward Behr

The native North American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, lives in bogs and is commonly grown in artificial ones, although water isn’t required. (The flooding is helpful for protection in winter, for controlling certain pests, and for harvesting — the berries float.) I’ve twice tasted sauce made from wild cranberries gathered by friends in a freshwater wetland on an island off the coast of Maine, and it had a small extra margin of fruit flavor, but cultivated cranberries are very good. As I made sauce each year, I used to note the amount of sugar I added, trying to decide on the ideal ratio of sugar to fruit, and it became obvious that cranberries vary. No ratio will always give the same result. The proportions below reflect the average that suits my not-too-sweet taste (to be precise, it’s 38 percent of the weight of the berries in sugar and 30 percent in water). I say 12 ounces of cranberries below because this is that’s the weight of the typical North American package. If you buy them loose and are purely metric, then for each 500 gr berries, add 190 gr sugar and 150 ml water. Whichever way, to make more, multiply. Note: with this ratio of sugar, the sauce doesn’t reliably unmold; to be sure of that, increase the sugar to 1 cup (210 gr or, if you start with 500 gr berries, then 230 gr sugar).

12 oz (340 gr) cranberries, rinsed and picked over as needed — they’re usually clean, sometimes without defect

5/8 cup (135 gr) sugar

scant ½ cup (120 ml) water

Boil the cranberries, sugar, and water, stirring now and then, until most of the berries have popped. Cool in a jar, bowl, or mold. Refrigerate. Serve cool or chilled. Serves 3 to 4.

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