As the holidays approach, it’s time to start thinking about those classics that always find their way to the table. Cranberry sauce is a staple for many households, and ours is no exception. Although my kids like the jellied, canned variety, I love homemade cranberry sauce instead. This recipe is super simple and ready for the fridge in minutes.
Why Should You Make Fresh Cranberry Sauce?
You might wonder why you should bother making it yourself when you can just buy a can in the grocery store. Making cranberry sauce at home lets you customize the flavor. You can control the sweetness of the recipe by adjusting the added sugar. Since canned cranberry sauce is usually really sweet, this lets you cut the sugar if you prefer.
Not only that, but you’ll get a fresher, brighter flavor when you make the cranberry sauce from scratch. You don’t need any special equipment, which is great, too. All you need is a couple of ingredients and a few minutes of time.
What Do You Need?
This recipe is so simple! You’ll only need a few things.
- 1 bag of fresh cranberries
- Granulated sugar
- Oranges
- Water
- Nutmeg
Yeah, I said nutmeg. I know it sounds weird, but trust me. It adds a subtle warmth that enhances the flavor of the tart cranberries.
You can use frozen cranberries if you’d rather. Just don’t add the extra water unless it seems too thick during cooking.
If you’d rather avoid granulated sugar, you can replace it with an equal amount or a little less maple syrup. Choose the pot carefully. I avoid using a reactive pan (like aluminum) because of the acidity of the cranberries. Instead, I use either a nonstick pot or stainless steel.
How Do You Make Cranberry Sauce?
Believe it or not, it’s so easy to make that you’ll wonder why you’ve never done it before. Before you put anything in the pot, you’ll want to spread the cranberries out on a baking sheet and go through them to remove any that are spoiled or damaged. If you want to be sure that the berries are fresh, drop them on a hard surface. Fresh cranberries bounce. If a berry doesn’t bounce, you don’t want it in the pot.
Once you’ve isolated the berries in the best condition, put them into the pot with the sugar, orange juice and zest, and water. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat until the berries pop. Stir everything frequently to help the sugar dissolve and incorporate. Allow the mixture to simmer until it starts to thicken. If you like your cranberry sauce thicker, let it cook longer. Then, remove it from the heat and let it cool before you transfer it to a container to chill. This is best made a day ahead so that it can chill in the refrigerator and the flavor can come together.
Make sure that you stir the cranberry sauce frequently, especially near the end. If you don’t, you risk burning the cranberries on the bottom.
Can You Customize the Recipe?
When you make cranberry sauce from scratch, you can add any flavors that you want. If you want to enhance the cranberry flavor, replace the water with cranberry juice. You can also stir in fruit, such as apples, pears, or orange segments. If you’re looking for a thicker, chunkier end result, consider adding some fruit and candied pecans or walnuts.
How Long Does Cranberry Sauce Last?
The shelf life of homemade cranberry sauce depends on how you store it. You can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If you want to store it longer, you can freeze it, too.
How Do You Freeze Homemade Cranberry Sauce?
Pack the cranberry sauce in an airtight container and label it, then keep it in the freezer for up to three months. You might notice some quality decline after that. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. You might need to stir it a bit before you use it, because the liquid may separate a little bit.
Can You Fix It If It’s Too Thick or Too Thin?
If your homemade cranberry sauce seems too thin, you can fix it by cooking it longer. When you cook it longer, it cooks down more of the excess liquid and the natural pectin in the cranberries helps it thicken up. If your cranberry sauce seems too thick, add a bit more water, cranberry juice, or orange juice to help loosen it up. Add a tablespoon at a time so that you don’t overdo it.
Is Cranberry Sauce Gluten Free?
This recipe does produce a gluten-free cranberry sauce. There are no wheat-based ingredients since it doesn’t use flour or other thickeners.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 12- oz bag fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Spread the cranberries out on a baking sheet and pick through them to remove any that are damaged or soft.
- Put the cranberries into a medium sauce pan.
- Add the sugar, water, juice, zest and nutmeg.
- Stir to combine everything together.
- Turn the heat on medium and let it come to a simmer. You will hear the cranberries start to pop as they cook.
- Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until it starts to thicken. There’s no need to add a thickener of any kind. The natural pectin in the cranberries will do all of the work for you.
- Remove it from the heat and let it cool before storing.
- Move the cranberry sauce to a storage container and keep it in the fridge. Best served chilled.
If you decide to make cranberry sauce from scratch this year, share your pics and experiences in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
I love cranberry sauce so this would be a great addition to our dressing for Thanksgiving! Thank you for sharing 😋
Looks really good and so simple to make. I have to try this! Thank you for sharing <3
Interesting! I always use apple cider and cinnamon. I’m going to try this. Thanks!
Ooooh apple cider and cinnamon sounds fantastic! I’ll have to try that.