Cranberry sauce is a popular addition to Thanksgiving dinner as well as many Christmas Eve dinners. Its also usually served whenever turkey or chicken is roasted, no matter what the time of year. Great cranberry sauce recipes abound, letting you make your cranberry sauce as complicated or as simple as you like.

1. Basic cranberry sauce recipes contain three main ingredients: cranberries, water and sugar.Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association: ranberries.org/cranberries/recipes_wholecran.html Whole Cranberry Sauce
2. Spice up your cranberry sauce by finding clever substitutes for the latter two ingredients. For example, replace the water with orange juice and add in maple syrup instead of sugar.
3. Substitute dried fruits such as raisins or cranberries for some of the cranberries.
4. Grated ginger,or lemon peel can add an interesting taste to your cranberry sauce.

Cranberries are a fruit that is native to North America and was introduced to the first English settlers by the Native Americans who had long lived in the area. Native Americans used cranberries in a variety of food dishes as well as for medicinal purposes. They also took advantage of the deep red color of cranberries to use as dyes for blankets and clothing.

It has long been thought that cranberries were served at the first Thanksgiving, though there is no concrete evidence for this assumption. Regardless of whether cranberries were part of that initial Thanksgiving, they have certainly evolved to an essential element of a complete Thanksgiving dinner.http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/cranberries/CranberryThanksgiving.htm

1. Make sure to make enough cranberry sauce to have leftovers!
2. Cranberry sauce can be added to turkey sandwiches in the days following the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays for a delicious and filling treat.