With the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, this cranberry sauce is absolutely the best. It might not be the main attraction at a lunch or dinner table, but it’ll definitely brighten up any meal. You’ll always want this cranberry sauce around from here on out. Not only is it an excellent accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas ham, but other meat entrees, too. You can even use it on salads and cakes, as well! When you try this recipe, be sure you at least double it. And don’t worry about the level of difficulty, as it’s embarrassingly easy to make. With this super recipe, you’ll make sauce like a boss.
The Best Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Why settle for canned jellied cranberry sauce when you can easily make one from scratch? Sure, there are some brands out there that offer decent canned cranberry sauces, but homemade is just 10 times more delicious. Plus, it’s such a cinch to make. This is a simple 3-ingredient recipe you can do in your sleep! You’re also free to add more things and adjust the measurements to make it your own. I’m giving you a recipe for a traditional cranberry sauce, but I also included variations you should definitely try.
How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
It couldn’t be easier!
- Dissolve the sugar in water in a saucepan over medium heat, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Stir in the cranberries and let the mixture simmer. Stir the mixture now and then to keep the bottom from scorching. In just about 10 minutes, the mixture will transform into a beautifully thick, jelly-like sauce. Yum!
Tips for the Best Cranberry Sauce
You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. If you use the latter, there’s no need to thaw.Traditional cranberry sauce is made of just water, sugar, and cranberries. But cranberries and orange make a perfect combination! Adding zest and juice from one orange will make the sauce’s flavors pop even more. Tip: zest the orange first before you juice it. It’s just easier that way.For an even more extra citrus flavor, add a tablespoon of orange marmalade to the cooked sauce. Besides orange, you can also use lemon and grapefruit zest to give the sauce a citrus twist.I use granulated sugar in my recipe, but brown sugar works as well. You can even use honey or maple syrup! These alternate sweeteners have varying levels of sweetness, though, so be sure to taste as you go and adjust as needed.For a more concentrated flavor, use cranberry juice cocktail instead of water.For added texture, throw in 1/2 cup of dried cranberries to the mix. Add chopped apples and pecans for a nice element of crunch.Give the sauce some warmth with cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and allspice. A drizzle of maple syrup, does wonders, too!Because cranberries are high in pectin, you won’t need any other thickening agents to give it a jelly-like consistency. Just cook the berries down with sugar and water and watch the pectin do its magic. If your sauce isn’t thickening up the way you want it, just let it simmer longer, about 10 minutes more. Also, keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.Besides turkey and ham, this sauce also tastes amazing with tacos, sandwiches, burritos, and even cheesecakes.Too busy during the holiday season? Make this cranberry sauce up to a week before serving! Just keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.Store any leftover cranberry sauce in an air-tight container and refrigerate it for weeks.For a longer shelf-life, place cranberry sauce in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
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