Homemade cranberry sauce is surprisingly easy to make and I think it tastes delicious. Growing up my mom always preferred canned cranberry sauce. I didn’t really love it so I would usually skip it on Thanksgiving. It wasn’t until a few years ago that my daughter Sophia discovered the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner that I would try making my own cranberry sauce from scratch.
Well, unbeknownst to me it tasted good and was really simple to make. So that’s when I came up with my own homemade version of an easy homemade cranberry sauce recipe. This simple recipe has basic ingredients and it comes together rather quickly. I still have to get a can for my mom every year, but there is room for both on our Thanksgiving holiday table! I hope you try this fresh cranberry recipe this year because I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Here’s what you need to make this delicious homemade cranberry sauce:
There are only a few ingredients needed to make this easy recipe. First, get one 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries. Then you need 2 navel oranges. You will first zest one orange and then juice them both. After that, it’s the sugar. I like using the combination of both white sugar and brown sugar. Lastly, you’ll need a quarter cup of water, a dash of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
How to make the best cranberry sauce recipe!
First, zest one orange. When zesting you just want to get the bright orange part of the peel. Try and avoid the white part of the orange because it is bitter. Use a Microplane or the side of a box grater. Next, juice 1-2 oranges. You need a quarter of a cup of orange juice, so it will depend on how juicy your oranges are. I prefer using fresh orange juice, but you can also buy freshly squeezed juice at your local grocery store as well. If using store-bought juice, please don’t skip the zest- it really adds a depth of flavor that can’t be replaced with just using juice.
Using a medium saucepan over medium-high heat bring the juice, water, and both sugars to a boil. Once boiling, add the cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. Stir it all together and bring it back up to a boil. The cranberries will start to pop and burst open. Cook them on a rapid simmer for about 10-12 minutes until most of the cranberries have opened up. You may have to mash a few with a fork or whisk.
The texture will be slightly chunky, but there should not be any whole cranberries.
Transfer the cranberry mixture to a bowl and let cool slightly before chilling it in the refrigerator. I always make this a day or two before Thanksgiving so I put it in an airtight container and then I will transfer it to a nice bowl to go on the holiday table. I also like to garnish with a little orange zest or orange peel to be festive for the holiday season. This can be served chilled or at room temperature. If you prefer room temperature, be sure to take it out of the refrigerator an hour before you eat.
Many people love cranberry sauce with their turkey dinner, but consider using the leftover cranberry sauce on top of leftover turkey sandwiches. The tartness from the cranberries is the perfect compliment and adds a special something to that sandwich. If it’s not Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and you are in the mood for cranberry sauce this can be made any time of year- I think it goes great with pork chops or even a roast chicken.
Not to worry if you made too much and you have leftover sauce; it keeps for a week in the refrigerator or you can even freeze it for up to a month.
Now that you have read how easy it is to make this homemade version of cranberry sauce I hope you try it at your next Thanksgiving meal. I think it’s much better than the canned stuff -although my mom would disagree!
More recipes you might like!
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Homemade cranberry sauce is so easy to make and tastes delicious. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving or any time you want a festive side dish. Goes great with turkey, ham, pork chops, or chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 1-2 oranges juiced)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
1. Rinse cranberries in a colander and set aside
2. In a medium saucepan add orange juice, water, and sugar and whisk to combine.
3. Bring to a boil then add cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon, and salt. Return to a boil.
4. Gently boil for 10-12 minutes until most of the cranberries have burst open. You may have to mash a few with a whisk or fork. The texture will be slightly chunky with no whole cranberries.
5. Transfer the cranberries to a bowl, and let them cool slightly before covering them with plastic wrap and chilling them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If you like cranberries cold serve them straight from the fridge, otherwise allow them to come to room temperature before serving. Either way is fine it’s a personal preference!
Notes
- You can substitute with store-bought fresh squeezed orange juice.
- Keeps covered in the refrigerator for about a week. Can also be frozen for 1 month.
