CrockPot Cranberry Sauce

This week I am sharing some new holiday recipes that were brought to life Thanksgiving 2013. For me, cranberries are essential to my holiday meals. By cranberries, I do not mean the over sugared junk that comes in a can. I am talking cranberries from scratch!

This recipe is for a slow cooker. I find that it is the best way to get homemade cranberry sauce in throughout the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. I love that I can set it and basically forget it until about 20 minutes before the meat is ready.

Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce
ingredients 

• 12oz bag whole cranberries 
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 apple chopped 
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar 
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 6 whole cloves 
• 1 large slice lemon (optional)

directions

1. Place cranberries, apples, sugars, and ginger into the slow cooker. Cover with juice and cider vinegar. 
2. Place cloves into the rind of the lemon (or into the flesh of an apple chunk). Place into the slow cooker with cinnamon stick. Gently stir, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. 
3. Halfway through remove lid, remove the cloves and cinnamon. Stir mixture and mash the apple and cranberries.Add the cinnamon and cloves back into the mixture. 
4. After 8 hours, remove the cinnamon and cloves again (they can be trashed now). Break up any remaining whole pieces of apple and cranberry. Place in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.