Description
Elevate your holiday table with this homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce. A perfect blend of tart cranberries, sweet sugar, and bright, zesty orange, this vibrant, jewel-toned condiment is incredibly simple to make. With a warm hint of cinnamon, it’s a fragrant and delicious accompaniment that will convert you from the canned variety for life.
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce; 340 g) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar (7 ounces; 198 g)
1/2 cup (118 g) water
2 strips zest and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) juice from 1 orange (optional)
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
Combine the Ingredients:
In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, water, and optional orange zest, orange juice, and cinnamon stick. Stir gently to begin dissolving the sugar.
Simmer and Pop:
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you hear the cranberries start to pop and burst.
Thicken the Sauce:
Once most of the cranberries have popped, the sauce will begin to thicken. Use the back of a spoon to gently mash some of the cranberries to help thicken the sauce to your desired consistency.
Cool and Serve:
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in a pinch of salt. If you used a cinnamon stick, remove it. Let the sauce cool completely, as it will thicken significantly as it cools. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
Make-Ahead Friendly:
This sauce is a perfect make-ahead dish. It can be prepared up to a week in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The flavor often improves after a day or two.
Perfect Texture Tip:
For a sauce with varied texture, hold back about a half-cup of fresh cranberries. Stir them in during the last minute of cooking for a delightful contrast of soft and firm berries.
Storage:
Leftover cranberry sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 14 days or frozen for up to three months, making it a wonderful condiment to have on hand.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Side Dish, Condiment
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 2mg
- Fat: 0.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 0.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: cranberry orange sauce, homemade cranberry sauce, holiday recipe, Thanksgiving side dish, easy cranberry sauce, from-scratch recipe