We made this last year and can't wait to make it again. I gave it four stars ONLY because we made a few changes...to us it wasn't hot enough even our picky 4 & 5 yr old "non-spicy-eating" daughters ate it. This could just have been the jalapeno peppers I got which vary due to ripeness etc so I plan on doubling up or leaving in some seeds this year. Also we used 100% cranberry/pomegranate juice in place of the water (YUM!) and omitted the sherry based on other comments. Finally I pureed the finished product and while it seemed a little thin while hot it jelled up nicely if you prefer a smoother consistency.
Based on some previous reviews I made a couple changes. I used 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup lite corn syrup and 1/2 cup Splenda in place of the sugar. Left out the lemon juice and substitute triple sec for the sherry. This was amazing! It tasted like jalapeno jelly with cranberries. I'll be making it again and every Thanksgiving from now on!
I love cranberry sauce and this was really a new take on things for me with the jalapenos. NOTE: if you remove the seeds AND MEMBRANES of the jalapeno you will remove most of the heat yet retain the pepper flavor! The membranes hold the heat so if you don't want the heat...plus I used 1/4 cup high-quality pear-flavored vodka rather than the sherry; I think sherry makes things a little cloying in any recipe but that's just me. Thanks for this recipe!
I love sherry in tetrazzini and stroganoff but not this. I added it bit by bit and wish I stopped at 2 Tbsp. or left it out. I doubled the lemon juice. I think this recipe has promise but can't figure out what it needs. Green pepper like jalapeno jelly? I am going to experiment further and definitely add less water and more jalapenos.
This recipe rocked with my slight changes: instead of lemon juice I used the zest and juice from one orange and I didn't have sherry so I used Captain Morgan Tattoo Rum which is dark and spicy and citrusy. I let the sauce simmer a bit to cook off the alcohol for the kids. It was the most incredible cranberry sauce this family ever had....it was gone in a heartbeat! The chant was "Make More Mom!" My last tip: DOUBLE THE RECIPE! Always wear gloves when seeding and mincing the jalapenos.
For kicks leave in the jalapeno seeds and use vodka instead of sherry!
One of our local grocery stores deli makes this sauce and I've always wanted to try it at home. This recipe is top notch. I didn't change a thing. If you don't like it hot but still want the flavor of jalapeno be sure to get all the seeds and the white parts out of the inside of the pepper. I fill my sink with water and cut the pepper in half under the water. Then take a baby spoon and scoup out all the seeds underwater. Be sure you wear gloves when you do this or you'll feel the heat for a couuple days! I used 2 peppers cleaned and diced fine and the flavor is perfect and not overpowering at all.
A great variation on the traditional cranberry sauce. My sauce turned out a little runny so I'm going to work on ways to make it 'jell' a little more. But overall it was a hit at our table.
Followed the recipe exactly and it was a little runny. But the flavor was delish. Those who like hot/spicy loved it. It made plenty and have some left over for christmas. Maybe cooking it a little longer would help with the thinness but we just used a slotted spoon and all was fine.
