Mama's Orange Pear Cranberry Sauce

Autumn...I love autumn. I love the crisp air and falling leaves and sweaters and PUMPKINS. (I'm obsessed with pumpkins but that's for another post) I also love autumn foods: pumpkin pie (again with the pumpkin) apple crisp, baked ham and Mama's cranberry sauce. Actually, it's more of a compote because the cranberries stay whole. But it is delicious.

Mama's Orange Pear Cranberry Sauce

3 cups fresh cranberries (you can buy them by the bag in the grocery store)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
3 medium size ripe pears, diced

In a large saucepan, combine water, orange juice, sugar. Heat over medium heat until sugar completely dissolves.

This was before I added the orange juice.

Add cranberries, lower heat to medium low and allow to simmer for 10 -15 minutes. Cranberries will pop. When mixture is thickened and a little more than half the berries have popped, stir in the pears and let it cook 2 more minutes.

It looks so pretty and it makes the house smell lovely.

Allow to cool before storing it in your choice of containers. I bought a 12 pack of canning jars at the grocery store and used them. The cranberry sauce looks so pretty in them.

Mama bought a bunch of pretty regular glass containers and she gives them away to friends every autumn.

This cranberry sauce happens to go on everything. My brother eats it right out of the fridge and with every meal. Someone else I know puts it on homemade muffins or bread. It's that good. Provided, of course. that you like cranberries. If you don't, I can't help you.