Homemade Cranberry Sauce (Printer-friendly)

Vibrant tangy-sweet sauce with whole berry or jellied options, ready in 20 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

→ Sweetener

02 - 1 cup granulated sugar

→ Liquid

03 - 1 cup water or orange juice

→ Flavorings

04 - 1/2 tsp orange zest
05 - 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
06 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Rinse the cranberries thoroughly and discard any soft or damaged berries.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, and water or orange juice. Add orange zest, cinnamon, and salt if using.
03 - Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
04 - Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most berries have burst and sauce has thickened.
05 - For whole berry sauce: Remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until set.
06 - For jellied sauce: Let cool slightly, then press mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove skins and seeds. Pour strained sauce into a bowl or mold and refrigerate until firm, about 2 to 3 hours.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The whole berries pop with every forkful, creating tiny explosions of sweet-tart brightness that cuts right through heavy holiday meals
  • You can control everything from the texture to the sweetness level, and nobody will believe you didn't spend hours over it
  • Makes your kitchen smell like the holidays themselves, like walking into a greeting card come to life
02 -
  • The sauce continues to thicken considerably as it cools, so don't panic if it looks thinner than you want while still hot
  • That popping sound means it's working perfectly, and each pop releases natural pectin that helps everything set beautifully
  • If using frozen berries, they'll need an extra 2-3 minutes of cooking time to catch up to fresh ones
03 -
  • Add a cinnamon stick during simmering instead of ground cinnamon for subtler spice and easier removal
  • A spoonful of orange marmalade stirred in at the end creates this restaurant-quality gloss and extra citrus brightness

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