Thanksgiving, 2012: Absolutely Perfect Cranberry Sauce

I was browsing the web for some inspiration for my cranberry sauce and came across this page and a much admired recipe which came from the well-known Julia Child. It seemed like something akin to the cranberry sauces I've made in the past - the same flavors, basically. But I was feeling a little adventurous and decided to throw in some more flavorful ingredients to take it up another notch. And wow, this sauce turned out amazing!
It was such a delight to work with these beautifully, crimson little jewels.

This sauce is so much richer, tastier, and fresher than its canned counterpart. So if you are a canned cranberry sauce kind of cook, please do try this sauce. It's a few extra minutes in the kitchen, but it's worth every minute and tastes absolutely perfect!

Absolutely Perfect Cranberry Sauce
(Inspired by Julia's Cranberry Sauce from A Muse in My Kitchen blog)

2 bags of fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1 c light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 c granulated sugar
1/2 c orange juice
zest of 1 1/2 oranges
1/2 t cinnamon, ground
1/2 t vanilla beans, ground OR 1/2 t vanilla bean paste OR 1/2 t vanilla extract
pinch of cloves, ground
2 t candied ginger, minced

Make sure all your cranberries are well washed and picked through for stems and berries gone bad.

Combine all the ingredients into one pot on your stovetop.

Heat on medium-high until most of the cranberries have popped, stirring on occasion. This will take roughly 10 minutes.

Once this happens, the mixture will start to thicken. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the cranberries take on a jam-like consistency, about 5 more minutes. Turn off the heat.

Serve warm or store in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat when you are ready to eat. Enjoy! It's such a perfect accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey!