Two in One: Cranberry Sauce and Cranberry Syrup

I never miss a chance to turn one recipe into two, so I was giddy to learn that I could have delicious cranberry sauce just by saving the fruit leftover from making cranberry syrup. There are many recipes that marry cranberry and orange, as this one does. However. this syrup goes all in with maple syrup, instead of sugar. It is a bit of a splurge, but worth the upgrade. My version is riffed off of a cocktail by Half Baked Harvest.

Yield: maybe 4 cups (enough for 8 to 10 drinks) syrup and 2 cups cranberry sauce

1 cup amber maple syrup
1 cup water
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
zest of 2 oranges (peeled in strips, with no white pith)

Place syrup, water, cranberries, and orange zest in a non-reactive pot. Bring to a quick boil over high heat. Boil until the cranberries begin to burst, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Once cool, strain, reserving both the fruit and syrup. Use the syrup as a base for a shrub, with the addition of this brine. I’d start with a small splash of brine per serving of syrup. The cooked fruit (along with the softened zest—I like to keep it in) should require nothing more than a spoon to eat.

*photo credit Lucy Schaeffer