Easy Cranberry Catsup

Before tomato ketchup dominated American tables, fruit ketchups were everywhere. Cranberry ketchup is one of the oldest, a sweet-tart-spiced condiment that lands somewhere between cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce, with a smoothness more like steak sauce than a chunky relish.

The brown sugar is critical. White sugar would make this read like cranberry jam. Brown sugar brings molasses notes that lean into the warming spices, especially the mace and clove. The result is darker, deeper, and more complex than the can-shaped jelly most people associate with the holiday.

Pressing the cooked fruit through a fine sieve is the work that gives this condiment its silky texture. Skip it and you get cranberry chutney. Do it properly and you get something that pours over a sliced turkey breast like a French sauce.

This ages beautifully. Make it a week before Thanksgiving and the flavors meld into something even more layered than the day you cook it. Keep it sealed in the fridge for a month or jar it for longer storage.

Pro Tips

• Use a fine-mesh sieve or food mill, not a colander, the goal is silky texture with no seeds or skins
• Stir the sugar in only after sieving so the natural pectin from the cranberries sets the body properly
• Whole spices (allspice berries, clove, cinnamon stick) infuse more flavor than ground, fish out the cinnamon stick before sieving
• Test the consistency on a chilled plate, the ketchup should mound slightly before running

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of grated fresh ginger or a pinch of cayenne for a spicier, more grown-up condiment
• Swap half the vinegar for orange juice for a brighter, fruitier finish
• Pour over a block of cream cheese with crackers for an instant holiday appetizer