This recipe is a twist on the classic cranberry sauce. Maybe you’re more familiar with the cranberry jelly out of the can (which makes such a fun noise when it pops out), but bring this to the Thanksgiving table for something a little different. The twist in this dish is the Hawthorne Berry which is call shan zha in Chinese. This little berry helps promote digestion and in particular helps digest red meat, oily, greasy, and fatty foods which makes it a great side for a big holiday feast to help prevent that bloated brick-in-the-stomach yucky feeling that follows eating a big meal. The hawthorne berries can be found in some health food stores or ordered online. You can also contact me and I can order it for you as well.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup dried Shan zha, fructus crataegi (hawthorne berries)
1 cup sugar (may be adjusted to taste, or honey may be substituted)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
Wash cranberries and soak shan zha in warm water for 10 mins to soften.
Remove the pits, drain and discard water.
Chop to soften shan zha. (or pulse in a food processor or blender)
Place chopped shan zha in saucepan with sugar and water
bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes
Add cranberries, bring to a boil again, and simmer until the cranberry skin burst (about 8-10 mins)
Add orange rind and smash the berries a bit
Allow to cool
