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makes about 8 cups

Apple Cranberry Compote

Dried fruits make terrific compotes to serve on the side with roasted or grilled entrées, particularly pork or chicken. Fragrant with sweet Riesling, cinnamon, and dried fruits, this compote is also delicious spooned over vanilla ice cream.

4 cups Riesling wine

3 cups dried apples, coarsely chopped

1 cup dried cranberries (craisins work, too)

Two 4-inch long cinnamon sticks

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, until the liquid has been absorbed and the fruit is plump.

cool to room temperature, remove the cinnamon sticks and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

makes about 4 cups

Cranberry Port Sauce

Scents of the holidays will waft from your slow cooker when this sauce is bubbling away. Fragrant with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, the sauce is terrific for Thanksgiving dinner but also complements chicken and pork. It can be used to glaze ham or pork roasts and is terrific on a turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving!

Two 12-ounce packages cranberries, washed and picked over (discard any white cranberries)

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups golden raisins

1 cup ruby port

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thickened.

cool to room temperature and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 3 months. If the sauce is frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator for 36 hours before planning to serve.

makes about 6 cups

Margarita Cranberry Sauce

A friend’s dad makes a jalapeño turkey every Thanksgiving, and I thought, “What better condiment for it than a margarita-flavored cranberry sauce?” Lime is one of my favorite flavors, and the contrast with the cranberries is scrumptious. Serve with pork or poultry.

3 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

½ cup tequila

Two 12-ounce bags fresh cranberries washed and picked over (discard any white cranberries)

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground allspice

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the sauce is thickened and the cranberries have popped.

cool the sauce and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

makes about 4 cups

Not-Your-Mom’s Cranberry Orange Sauce

I remember during my childhood a relative once made cranberry orange relish, which I didn’t like much. I think the bitterness from the orange pith put me off. Since that time, I’ve learned to make an orange cranberry sauce, without bitterness, in the slow cooker. The orange and cranberry flavors melt together with cinnamon, clove, and ginger to give you a sauce you’d be proud to have grace your celebration table.

2 cups sugar

1½ cups orange juice

Grated zest of 2 oranges

Two 12-ounce packages fresh cranberries washed and picked over (discard any white cranberries)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

combine all the ingredients in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, until thickened and the cranberries have split.

allow the sauce to cool to room temperature and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

makes about 4 cups

Jammin’

Jams are foolproof when made in the slow cooker, but you do need to stir them a few times during the cooking process to make sure they aren’t sticking. Once the jam is made, it can be refrigerated for two weeks or frozen for up to two months.

Strawberry