As a child, I hated cranberry sauce. That weird jellied substance that still retained the shape of its tin can freaked me out. Only dog food retains the shape of can, and I didn’t understand what this sweet substance was doing on my Thanksgiving plate.

The first time I tasted organic homemade cranberry sauce, I was in heaven. I had no idea that was what it was supposed to taste like, and it wasn’t can-shaped (did you know tin cans contain BPA?)  Besides, homemade cranberry sauce is super easy to make, so who needs a can?

It is easy to find organic cranberries at coops and health food stores to make your own sweet sauce to complement your Thanksgiving feast, whether vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore.

Organic Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Plan ahead!  Cranberry sauce needs to chill in your refrigerator for at least three hours before your feast.  It is best to make it the night before Thanksgiving.

Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally for five minutes:

• 2 cups organic sugar or sucanat (sucanat will give you a darker colored sauce)

• 2 cups water

Add:

• 4 cups fresh organic cranberries
• 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel (optional)

Boil for at least five minutes longer, or until the cranberries pop.  The cranberries must pop to release the natural pectin that will thicken your cranberry sauce.  Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.

Image:  Half Chinese on Flickr under a Creative Commons License