Blue Cranberry Applesauce

My love affair with cranberry sauce started in childhood with the jellied version (I still love it) and finally progressed to the real thing. Several years ago I tried my hand at Pear Honey Cranberry Sauce from Allrecipes.com. My mother and I loved it so much that I've made homemade cranberry sauce each year when cranberries come available.

This year I decided to try a combination of two of my very favorites, Cranberry Applesauce on Simply Recipes and Blue Cranberry Sauce from Allrecipes, by using extra cranberries and Ocean Spray Blueberry Cocktail. I love it! It is a tiny bit tart, spicy from the cinnamon, and with a nice tang from the blueberry juice. Plus it looks gorgeous in my Mom's old crystal relish dish.

This made eight cups using my ingredients. I will serve a portion at a luncheon at church tomorrow and the remainder will be used in recipes. It keeps well in the refrigerator and freezes well, so it is great as a do-ahead for Thanksgiving or Christmas; and its vibrant color makes a stunning addition to the holiday table.

Please see the original recipe at Simply Recipes for Elise's version, as well as the excellent recipe for Blue Cranberry Sauce on Allrecipes.com, and give them both a try, after you've tried my version.

Blue Cranberry Applesauce
inspired by Simply Recipes and Allrecipes.com

10 peeled, cored, roughly chopped apples - I used Granny Smith and Honey Crisp
18 oz (1-1/2 bags) Ocean Spray cranberries
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 cups Ocean Spray Blueberry Cocktail Juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon honey

Place all ingredients except vanilla and honey in large (5-quart) pot. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook 20-30 minutes, or until apples can easily be mashed.

Remove from heat, add vanilla and honey, and mash apples and cranberries with potato masher to desired consistency.

Serve hot or cold.