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    Home » Fall

    Florida Cranberry Sauce With Roselle

    Published: Oct 19, 2022 by Poppy Hudson

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pinterest graphic with photo of bright red cranberry sauce labled Florida Cranberry Sauce.

    Every Thanksgiving, we look forward to Florida cranberry sauce made with roselle hibiscus in place of cranberries. With fresh pineapple and ginger, it's our tropical island version of a classic holiday side dish.

    Bowl of Florida cranberry sauce made with roselle hibiscus.

    It's amazing how the tart, ruby-red buds of hibiscus sabdariffa, known as Florida cranberry, take the place of traditional Wisconsin fruit!

    Jump to:
    • 🏆 Top tip
    • 🥣 Homemade
    • 🌿 What is roselle?
    • 📋 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Steps
    • 👩🏻‍🍳 Expert tips
    • 💭 FAQ
    • 🥧 more Thanksgiving recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    🏆 Top tip

    Slice the star-shaped tops off roselle buds, and the seed pods come right out. It's faster than peeling the red sepals off individually.

    🥣 Homemade

    Everyone knows homemade cranberry sauce is the only kind worth eating. But did you know roselle hibiscus makes some of the best "cranberry" sauce ever?

    I get it if you have never enjoyed this traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas side dish. Those canned sauces deserve to be left aside.

    However, tart, sweet tropical cranberry sauce made with roselle, fresh orange, pineapple, and ginger is in a completely different league. It's irresistible.

    🌿 What is roselle?

    Roselle is an edible variety of hibiscus used for sweet and tart recipes.

    Roselle is known by many names. Flor de Jamaica, Indian sorrel, zobo, and karcadeh are just a few. The best name to know if you want the right variety for cooking and eating is roselle's Latin name, hibiscus sabdariffa.

    Hibiscus sabdariffa is loved for its beautiful flowers and the ruby-red buds that make jam, pies, and festive beverages like bissap, the national drink of Senegal.

    hibiscus sabdariffa.

    Even though the striking, red buds with their petal-like leaves look like fruit, they are properly called calyces. Surprisingly, the hard green seed pods inside the red calyces are the actual fruit of Indian sorrel.

    📋 Ingredients

    Roselle is the key ingredient in our orange cranberry sauce substitute. If you have it growing nearby, or in local farmer markets before the winter holidays, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

    The remaining ingredients reflect our local and seasonal produce here on Maui but are widely available. The pineapple and ginger make it so good!

    Ingredients to make cranberry sauce with roselle, pineapple and fresh orange.
    • Roselle hibiscus - Intensely tart roselle has pectin that naturally thickens sauces.
    • Pineapple - Low-acid pineapples are the best.
    • Orange juice - Fresh squeezed is essential.
    • Orange zest - Chop the orange zest after you scrape it from an orange.
    • Cinnamon - Vietnamese cinnamon if you have it.
    • Fresh ginger - Peel and finely chop the ginger root.
    • Organic raw sugar - Certified organic, (without bone char) makes it vegan.

    🔪 Steps

    Start by slicing the star-shaped tops off fresh roselle calyces. Then the green seed pods come right out. You can toss them into compost or save any brown seeds to grow a new plant.

    Cut star shaped caps off roselle calves to remove seed pods.

    Once your roselle is deseeded, this is an easy cranberry sauce recipe that only takes one pot and 20 minutes of cook time.

    1. Finely chop roselle and pineapple.
    2. Mince peeled ginger and orange zest.
    3. Squeeze fresh orange juice.
    4. Place roselle, pineapple, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, raw sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan.
    5. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
    6. Cook over low heat for twenty minutes or until roselle and pineapple are uniformly red and softened into a thick sauce.
    Juicy thick cranberry sauce on a spoon.

    👩🏻‍🍳 Expert tips

    • Chop both roselle and pineapple finely into ⅛-inch dice.
    • Mince ginger after removing the skin.
    • Zest orange peel and mince small like ginger.
    • Cook Florida cranberry sauce over low heat. It can bubble gently but don't boil it vigorously.

    💭 FAQ

    Is hibiscus and roselle the same?

    There are many types of hibiscus, and roselle belongs to the hibiscus sabdariffa family. Hibiscus sabdariffa is popular around the world and goes by a number of different names depending on the region. Some common names are roselle, rosella, Florida cranberry, Flor de Jamaica, Jamaican sorrel, Indian sorrel, red sorrel, and sour-sour.

    Can I freeze Florida cranberry sauce?

    Yes. Florida cranberry sauce freezes beautifully and keeps well for 6 months in a covered container. This makes it handy to prepare Florida cranberry sauce before Thanksgiving and keep a separate batch in the freezer until Christmas time.

    🥧 more Thanksgiving recipes

    • Easy Brown and Serve Rolls - Ciabatta Buns
    • Vegan Five-Spice Almond Pate
    • Pull-Apart Honey Yeast Rolls- Vegan
    • Cinnamon Chayote Pie

    Let us know if you try this recipe! Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below, and don’t forget to tag a photo #poppyswildkitchenrecipes on Instagram @poppyswildkitchen Aloha!

    📖 Recipe

    Bowl of Florida cranberry sauce made with roselle hibiscus.

    Florida Cranberry Sauce With Roselle

    Wow your Thanksgiving table with Florida Cranberry Sauce. This tropical alternative proves fresh and homemade is the best. Made with tart roselle, sweet pineapple, orange, cinnamon and ginger. Quick and easy.
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    8 Servings
    Calories: 69kcal
    Author: Poppy Hudson

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups finely chopped, seeded roselle
    • 1 ½ cups finely chopped pineapple
    • ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
    • 1 cup organic raw sugar
    • ¼ tsp. minced orange zest
    • ½ tsp. peeled, minced ginger root
    • ½ tsp. cinnamon powder

    Instructions

    Prepare roselle

    • Wash and drain fresh roselle. Slice the star-shaped caps off the red calyces and pop out the round seeds. Toss the seeds into compost.

    Chop fruit

    • Finely chop deseeded roselle and pineapple. Mince peeled ginger and orange zest.

    Squeeze orange juice

    • Squeeze and measure out ½ cup fresh orange juice.

    Cook sauce

    • Place roselle, pineapple, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, raw sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan. Stir to mix. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. 
    • Loosely cover the saucepan and cook over low heat for twenty minutes or until roselle and pineapple are uniformly red and softened into a thick sauce.

    Store

    • This fresh cranberry sauce keeps one week refrigerated and three months frozen. Place it in a container and cover it securely before freezing.

    Notes

    Recipe tips
    Chop both roselle and pineapple finely into ⅛-inch dice.
    Mince ginger after removing the skin.
    Zest orange peel and mince small like ginger.
    Cook Florida cranberry sauce over low heat. It can bubble gently but don't boil it vigorously.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @PoppysWildKitchen or tag #poppyswildkitchen!

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