From Our Own: Eckert's Thanksgiving Must Haves!

We heavily rely on Eckert team members for more than just their hired hands. They are an integral part of every aspect of Eckert's, so it only makes sense to continually ask for their feedback and opinions. We would like to share this valuable input with you, so we have decided to start a series of periodic blogs called "From Our Own." With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we thought what a better time to kick this off by asking them about their Thanksgiving must haves.

Fresh Cranberries
"I prefer to cook from scratch, and I have a great recipe for homemade cranberry sauce, so I'll be picking up some fresh cranberries for sure." -Sharon, Bakery

Luckily, Sharon's recipe isn't a family secret so she was generous enough to share it with us.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 navel orange
1/2 tsp grated ginger
4 cups cranberries
1/2 cup (2 oz.) toasted pecans

Grate the orange peel and add to a pot with the sugar and ginger. Add the juice from the orange into the pot and simmer over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and cook until they pop - about 5 minutes. Add pecans and cool.

Caramel Apple Walnut Pie
"Everyone always brings the traditional pumpkin or pecan pie, but I like to stand out. Okay, I'll admit it. I prefer it over the others and I pretend like I made it myself. Everyone in my family says, Tabitha makes the best apple pie!" -Tabitha, Restaurant

A Mano Moscato
"I will buy this Moscato to pair with my turkey. It is an off-dry wine made with grapes from Italy." Jerry, Garden Center

As Jerry has done, you typically choose a soft, white wine to pair with a traditionally prepared turkey; however a bolder, red wine better complements the deeper flavors of a smoked bird.

Monster Muffins
"I have quite a few family members that will stay at my house over Thankgsving weekend. I always make sure to get some monster muffins for breakfast. The kiddos always get a kick out of how big they are. They always say they can eat a whole one, but they always end up sharing." -Yasmin, Country Store

Applewood Smoked Turkey
"I know it seems predictable that I picked the most obvious thing, but it's true. I'm all about less hassle. Leaves more time for football." - John, Produce

Our smoked turkeys are brined in a combination of Eckert's Honey, Eckert's Apple Cider, Sorghum Molasses and Kosher Salt. To further enhance the flavor, the turkey is smoked using applewood, which comes directly from our apple orchard.

With the fall harvest put to rest and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we would like to show our gratitude to all of our team members for their hard work and dedication. It is an honor to have you as part of the Eckert team. Happy Thanksgiving!