Quince Cranberry Sauce

Serves

For a change of pace, try this variation on a traditional holiday classic, which pairs quince and cranberries. The sauce thickens nicely thanks to all the pectin in the quinces, and its tart-sweet taste goes beautifully with turkey, as well as chicken, duck, goose, and roast pork. Some varieties of quinces are sweeter than others, so a range of sugar is suggested, depending on your own preferences. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients

2 cups apple cider or apple juice
3 cups Sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 strips of lemon peel ((just the yellow rind, no white pith))
1 3-inch cinnamon stick (broken in half)
1 star anise pod
6 whole cloves
3 cups diced quince (from about 3 peeled and cored quinces)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions

Place the cider, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves in a medium-size saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the quince and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until the fruit is tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the cranberries to the saucepan and simmer until the skins burst and the berries are just tender, but not falling apart, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool. Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate.