Reformation Red: Cranberry Applesauce

You've heard the old joke, "You know you're a Lutheran when...you only serve Jell-O in the correct liturgical color!"  Guilty.  Kind of.  You didn't really think I'd only serve my family a Diet of (gummy) Worms for celebrating the Reformation, did you? 


Adelae in her "Reformation Red"!

Tonight while the kids were carving a pumpkin with Daddy, I was busy slicing up some apples, making warm Reformation Red Cranberry Applesauce.  It's sweet and tart, warm and red - perfect for a cozy fall evening.  Even here in Naples, we have refreshing a bit of a chill in the air today.


First, the story.  Food is a great way to tell a story - full mouths make for a captive audience! In this dish, sweetness comes from the apples, tartness from the cranberries. While we celebrate the Reformation, it wasn't all sweetness.  Luther loved his church.  He never set out to create a new church, only to refocus her back to God's Word and His grace.  Amidst the celebration of God's grace and the Word, this break among fellow Christians casts a bit of a shadow, a tartness.  My heart also aches for those I love who can't quite rest in the knowledge of their salvation, needing to look to themselves, to being good enough to merit heaven.  Martin Luther was a great man, but a flawed man.  Jesus was the perfect man.  He gave the perfect sacrifice.  Salvation is paid in full through His death, without any merit or worthiness in me.  Sweet and tart.

Rough chop 10-12 apples - skin and all. This is a great use for your old, browning apples. I even threw in a couple pears too.  Place them in a large stock pot on high heat with about a half a cup of water.  Sprinkle in a tablespoon or so of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.  Once they start to soften, stir in a whole bag of cranberries and a squeeze of lemon juice. That's a whole lot of tart for my liking, so I add a little bit of granulated Stevia, maybe 1/3 cup.  Add more if you like.  Within ten minutes or so your apples will be nice and soft and the cranberries will have popped, releasing their beautiful red color.  Let it cook on high heat for at least 15 minutes, then use a potato masher to break down the fruit.  We like it a little bit chunky.  The skins do break down quite a bit and I hate to loose that wonderful fiber, but if you can always peel the apples if desired.  Serve warm.

Do you think Kate Luther would have approved?  I hope so!

Reformation Red Cranberry Applesauce

10-12 apples

1/2 cup water

1 T cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

12 oz bag cranberries

1/3 cup sugar or sweetener of your choice

squeeze of lemon juice

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