Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is a delicious favorite among the holidays and winter season. I love the sauce but like to avoid the sugar. This recipe uses honey to ferment the cranberries and is a wonderfully delicious and beneficial alternative to the sugar sweetened recipes. This also does not cook the cranberries, preserving all their raw benefits. Plus, you also receive the amazing benefits of the fermenting process.

This can be a good recipe to introduce others to fermented foods who are opposed or hesitant to try lacto-fermented veggies and krauts, especially children. It is my son’s new favorite daily tonic

.Ingredients:

4 cups raw cranberries (pulse grind in a blender or food processor to break skin and gently dice)
4-5 ginger slices
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1/16 tsp cardamom seeds or 4 pods, broken and de-seeded Juice form
1 orange
1/4 tsp of orange zest

Date Prepared: November 20, 2017
Length of Ferment: 6 weeks (or take it up to 6 months for an extra-long ferment)


I have been leaving my jar out and it continues to ferment as we take our spoonful’s from it daily.

Add cranberries and spices into the jar, placing the cinnamon stick(s) in the center, submerging then under the cranberries. Add the zest and juice of the orange and pour honey to cover. Mix well and gently tap the jar to get the honey to settle, minimizing air bubbles and pockets. Cover with the lid but keep it loose so gases can escape. Stir every 2-3 days or tighten the lid and turn upside down for 30-60 minutes and flip upright and loosen the lid again to continue fermenting. Do this until it starts to bubble. Warmer temperatures will speed the fermenting process. It took 6 weeks during the cooler late fall and early winter months for mine to be really bubbly and active. Ferment longer (up to 6 months) for a more complex flavor or leave it on the counter as you continue to take spoonful’s of it daily. Use it as a jam or jelly, add a spoonful to smoothies, pour some over some soft cheese or nut cheese and serve with crackers, add a spoonful to yogurt, oatmeal, hot cereals, etc. Use as the inner layer of a cake for a healthier dessert or drizzle over ice cream, cupcakes and muffins. The possibilities are endless!!

Add the orange zest and juice on top.

Cover with honey.