BHA & BHT Free Cranberry Apple Compote
Tart cranberries and sweet diced apple simmer down into a glossy, jammy compote that smells like the best parts of autumn ā warm cinnamon, fresh ginger, and a bright hit of orange zest all in one pot. The texture lands somewhere between a sauce and a preserve, thick enough to mound on a spoon but loose enough to spoon generously over whatever it touches. What makes this recipe such a smart choice for anyone avoiding synthetic preservatives is that every single ingredient is whole and recognizable ā fresh fruit, honey, spices, and citrus, nothing more. Store-bought cranberry sauces and fruit spreads are notorious for sneaking in BHA, BHT, or other stabilizers to extend shelf life, so making your own is genuinely the cleanest path forward. Ceylon cinnamon and freshly grated ginger do real flavor work here, giving the compote a warmth and complexity that no jarred version can match. It works beautifully warm alongside a holiday roast, at room temperature on a cheese board, or chilled and spooned over yogurt the next morning.
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Learn more āIngredients
6 servings
- 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into Ā½-inch dice
- ā cup honey
- ā cup water
- 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
- 1
Combine the cranberries, diced apple, honey, water, Ceylon cinnamon, grated ginger, orange zest, and orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to distribute the honey.
- 2
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15ā18 minutes, until the cranberries have all burst and collapsed, the apple pieces are tender when pressed with the back of a spoon, and the compote has thickened to a loose, jammy consistency that mounds slightly on the spoon.
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