Canned, jellied cranberry sauce will not go the way of the dodo (or the Twinkie) if I have anything to say about it.

For the lovers of canned, jellied cranberry sauce, here’s some terrifying news:

It would appear that this Thanksgiving Day staple is on the decline. When I went to the grocery store yesterday to pick up several cans of the stuff, I found it relegated to a two foot section of bottom shelf space in the baking aisle.

And half of those three feet were occupied by the ugly stepchild of jellied cranberry sauce:

Whole berry cranberry sauce in a can.

In addition, there was only one brand from which to choose, and only 12 cans in all. And before you propose that the limited quantity had something to do with Thanksgiving Day approaching, the entire area of shelf space afforded to canned, jellied cranberry sauce was filled.

There was only room enough for about 12 cans.

Whatever evil is at work here must be stopped.

I have since learned that canned, jellied cranberry sauce is much more popular than I ever imagined. I apparently travel in foodie circles who view almost anything from a can as dog food. The typical cranberry sauce that I see is a homemade variety made from organically grown and personally harvested cranberries, mixed in with nuts, seeds, and other ingredients that have no business standing alongside cranberries.

Outside my food snob circles, though, canned cranberry sauce sales are not declining.

I only pray that canned, jellied cranberry sauce is not like the Twinkie:

Universally beloved but rarely purchased.

A world without canned, jellied cranberry sauce would be too much to bear.