This apple cranberry sauce boosts antioxidants and is a great Thanksgiving addition. Cranberries have vitamin C and fiber, and are only 45 calories per cup. In disease-fighting antioxidants, cranberries outrank nearly every fruit and vegetable–including strawberries, spinach, broccoli, red grapes, apples, raspberries, and cherries.
One cup of whole cranberries has 8,983 total antioxidant capacity. Only blueberries can top that: Wild varieties have 13,427; cultivated blueberries have 9,019. These numbers are ORAC values or oxygen radical absorbent capacity. If a food has a high ORAC value, it has the ability to neutralize many free radicals. ORAC stands for oxygen radical absorbance capacity. If a food has a high ORAC value, it has the ability to neutralize many free radicals. Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd (unpaired) number of electrons and can be formed when oxygen interacts with certain molecules. The chief danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with important cellular components such as DNA, or the cell membrane. Cells may function poorly or die if this occurs.
To prevent free radical damage the body has a defense system of antioxidants and we can boost antioxidants with the foods we eat. Antioxidants are molecules which can safely interact with free radicals and terminate the chain reaction before vital molecules are damaged. Antioxidants help with the prevention of cellular damage — the common pathway for cancer, aging, and a variety of diseases.
Apple Cranberry Sauce | Recipe for Life
Apple Cranberry Sauce
Serves: 8
1 (12-ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Put all ingredients in a medium-size saucepan.Bring to boil and cover leaving lid slightly askew (be sure pot is a bit larger so it does not boil over).Turn heat to low and continue to cook 20 minutes until the cranberries pop and the liquid thickens.Chill until ready to use.Bring to room temperature before serving.
About the blogger: Debbie Gore, is a passionate foodie who tries to include many superfoods in her recipes. Her “recipe for life” philosophy is to eat as close to the earth as is possible. Eliminate processed foods and increase the color in your diet with fruits and vegetables.
Find Debbie Gore’s books (Good Friends Great Tastes, Recipe for Life) on Amazon.com for .99 for Kindle or on her website as an ebook http://www.recipeforlife.biz/store/. The healthy supplements, books and products she enjoys can be found at: http://astore.amazon.com/recforlif06-20
I love anything cranberry. I will give this recipe a try. I now use biodegradable food containers for all my leftovers. And, I will have plenty this year. My kids love to take home their share of the Thanksgiving dinner.
Kathy- I just reduced ginger to 1/4 tsp. Was a bit strong.