Blueberries Effortlessly Make This Comforting Fall Side Prettier And Tastier

Some foodstuffs are so beloved, so inseparable from things like heartwarming holidays, and so eternally perfect just the way they are, that they're immune to adaptation. Psych! Your kitchen, your rules, and one should always feel empowered to tinker with whatever recipe to tailor it to their liking. Even cranberry sauce, that seemingly static, can-shaped or whole-fruit Thanksgiving fave, is ripe for all kinds of interpretation. Toasted nuts can give cranberry sauce some extra texture, for example, warming spices can help take its tart edge off, and the juicy blueberries considerably less associated with autumn can make this vibrant, homemade side more delightful to behold and to taste.

Although it varies depending on the region, blueberry season in the U.S. barely overlaps with fall at all. By November most folks have moved onto the apples, pumpkin, and, yes, cranberries more synonymous with this time of year. But the tartness of those cranberries poses a dynamic balance to your somewhat sweeter blueberries, not to mention aesthetically pleasing symmetry and complementary hues. 

While blueberries picked a little past their prime tend to lack the intense flavor and sweetness of their in-season counterparts, they're still a worthy addition. And let's be honest: a lot of standard cranberry sauce recipes are pretty sweet themselves. The scratch-crafted versions often end up looking and tasting like compote and, well, have you seen the prepackaged stuff? All that granulated sugar can cover up any perceived paucity of flavor in out-of-season blueberries. You can even swap in frozen with scant chance that anyone will catch on. But they will notice this excellent little enhancement that just might become a newly beloved holiday side staple.

You can actually factor blueberries into your existing favorite cranberry sauce recipe pretty easily, should you already have one. You'll boil the cranberries and sugar according to instructions until they're poppin' and approaching saucy, mash them up, and add the spices you find the nicest. Finally, tip in about an equal amount of blueberries once it's all off the heat just to warm them through. You want the blueberries to remain intact and just as recognizable as the crans, which they just wouldn't do under the latter's longer, intense cooking.

Should you be using frozen blueberries instead, remove them to the counter to let them come to room temperature before stirring into the mix. You can toss them into the hot sauce a minute or two before it finishes if they're still cool to the touch. A few thin twirls of orange zest further brighten everything up if you aren't already using, and they make a dainty garnish. But feel free to go rogue with your own crowning finish, too; you do still make the rules, after all.