I love what cranberry sauce adds to a thanksgiving feast. A little pop of color, some sweetness and a bit of tartness that works perfectly with the mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey and gravy (among other things) that are piled on my plate.
Although there is nothing wrong with the canned stuff (one of my first childhood thanksgiving “jobs” was opening those cans!), fresh cranberry sauce belongs on your holiday table. There is no comparison. Better flavor, better texture and the entire process takes 15 minutes. With the addition of orange zest, all spice and a cinnamon stick, my fresh cranberry sauce recipe creates a beautiful side dish that everyone will want more of.
Let’s get it started…
To begin, gather 20 ounces of fresh cranberries, 3/4 cup of fresh orange juice, 1/3 cup of cranberry juice, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 heaping tablespoon of fresh orange zest, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of all spice and a cinnamon stick.
Starting around the middle of November, fresh cranberries are super easy to find. I usually use two 10 ounce bags and this makes a nice big bowl of cranberry sauce. If you are having a small get together for thanksgiving, you can definitely cut the recipe in half.
Start by combining 3/4 cup of fresh orange juice with 1/3 cup of cranberry juice and 1 cup of granulated sugar in a medium sauce pan and place it over medium high heat. As soon as this mixture begins to boil, add your cranberries, fresh orange zest, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of all spice and a cinnamon stick.
Stir to combine and bring everything back up to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and let everything boil gently for 10 minutes. The cranberries will be nice and soft and the sauce will begin to thicken up a bit.
Transfer the cranberry sauce off of the heat and remove the cinnamon stick.
If you want your cranberry sauce to have a smoother texture, you can crush the cranberries that did not burst during the cooking process. I love having some whole cranberries in my cranberry sauce, so I leave them as is, but this is your fresh cranberry sauce, so you can make it exactly how you want it!
If you are making your cranberry sauce in advance, transfer it into an airtight container and let it chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. This cranberry sauce is a great dish to make ahead. It keeps very well for a week or so in the refrigerator, so if you have a spare 15 minutes a few days before thanksgiving, whip up a batch of this fresh cranberry sauce and it will be ready for the big day.
This fresh cranberry sauce has a great balance of sweetness and tanginess. I love the combo of whole cranberries and that thick sauce. Spoon some in between your potatoes and turkey and get ready to talk about canned cranberry sauce in past tense, because you are going to be making your own cranberry sauce from now on.
Enjoy!!
Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 20 ounces fresh cranberries
- 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup cranberry juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon all spice
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Combine 3/4 cup of fresh orange juice with 1/3 cup of cranberry juice and 1 cup of granulated sugar in a medium sauce pan and place over medium high heat
- Once boiling, add 20 ounces of fresh cranberries. a heaping tablespoon of orange zest, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of all spice and a cinnamon stick
- Stir to combine and bring back up to a boil
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes
- Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the cranberry sauce into an airtight container
- Chill until you are ready to serve
