Cranberry Sauce
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Ditch the can and impress your guests with this easy homemade cranberry sauce recipe—ready to brighten your holiday table in just 15 minutes!
Let’s swap out the old-school canned cranberry sauce for something fresher and tastier, shall we? I’ll admit, the jiggly, can-shaped version has its nostalgic charm, but homemade cranberry sauce is truly in a league of its own—and so easy to make! Simply boil fresh (or frozen) cranberries with sugar, water, orange juice, and orange zest, and in just 15 minutes, you’ll have a sauce bursting with bright, sweet flavors. The best part? You can make the sauce ahead of time and relax knowing it’ll stay perfectly fresh in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for two months. Serve it up alongside your favorite Thanksgiving turkey recipe (I love a dry-brined turkey) and turkey gravy, then give your post-feast turkey sandwiches a gourmet twist by mixing the leftover sauce with mayo for an irresistibly delicious spread.
“I usually use the recipe on the Ocean Spray bag. This is so much better! I can’t wait for my family to try it! I love the taste of the orange in it.”
About Fresh Cranberries
As the leaves start to turn, fresh cranberries make their seasonal debut, available from mid-September through the end of the year. These tart little gems are harvested in a unique way—the bogs they grow in are flooded, and the cranberries float to the surface for easy collection. But cranberries aren’t just for sauces! They can brighten up desserts and baked goods, like Nantucket cranberry pie, cranberry orange bread, or apple cranberry crumble. You can even use them to make cranberry chutney. Find them fresh in the produce section during the fall, and grab a few extra bags to freeze so you can enjoy them year-round.
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by zesting one of the oranges. A rasp grater is the best tool but any grater with small holes will work—just be sure to leave the white pith behind as it’s quite bitter. Always zest the orange before squeezing the juice out, as it’s near impossible to do afterward.
Combine the orange juice, water and sugar in a medium pot and bring to a boil.
Add the cranberries, orange zest and salt.
Boil gently for about 10 minutes.
Most of the cranberries should burst open, creating a thick sauce. You may need to mash them a bit with a spoon. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
How to Store Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce should be cooled completely before storing. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
How To Freeze Cranberry Sauce
Fresh cranberry sauce freezes beautifully, so you can make it a month or two ahead of time to get a jump start on your holiday cooking. Allow the sauce to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the cranberry sauce thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Video Tutorial
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Cranberry Sauce
Ditch the can and impress your guests with this easy homemade cranberry sauce recipe—ready to brighten your holiday table in just 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup fresh orange juice, from two oranges
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 (12 oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries (do not use dried)
- Zest of one orange, about 2 teaspoons
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan over high heat, bring the water, orange juice, and sugar to a boil. Add the cranberries, orange zest, and salt and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until most of cranberries have burst open. (You may need to mash them a bit with a spoon.)
- Transfer sauce to a serving bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Cranberry sauce will keep for 10 days in a covered container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: about 1/3 cup
- Calories: 126
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Sugar: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Sodium: 43 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This really caught my Thankgivingers by surprise. No one really liked cranberries very much and were used to choking down the canned stuff. Enter this recipe and they went for their spoons. I also enjoyed mixing with sour cream as a dessert. What else should I use it on as it seems very versatile and not overly sweet?
Hi Keith, So glad your Thanksgivingers liked it! I would be great mixed with cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, plain Greek yogurt and topped off with a little granola. It would also be a nice sweet condiment on a savory sandwich (like grilled cheese) or as a topping for pancakes or waffles. Hope that helps!
Oh my yes, thank you!
The combos worked great especially the yogurt. I must confess that the sour cream still rocks. In a rush to the store recently, I bought FL grapefruits by mistake based on their size and after not reading the label… However, these are not extremely tart or sour even with the zest. I also tried it with the CA navel oranges which seemed to overpower the cranberries. Any other fruits that you might consider?
Thank you!
So glad you were able to make the best of your leftovers! I honestly can’t think of another fruit that would be appropriate here — sorry!
Wow, this cranberry sauce is so delicious. I made it exactly as written and it turned out perfectly. The orange juice and zest elevates it to another level. It’s so fresh tasting! I am using the last bit for my toast in the mornings. Thank you.
Delicious!!
This was delicious! Thank you for all of your great recipes 🙂
I don’t know how this has 5 stars…. I nearly doubled the amount of cranberries and water but left the orange juice and zest about the same amount on this recipe, and it still turned out to be too much orange and completely took away from the cranberries. I had to make a whole new batch without the orange and mix a 1/4 of the original orange mix into the regular mix for it to be any good.
Hi Jen
Just finished your pumpkin pie and perfect pie crust, can’t wait to try it tomorrow. Question on your cranberry sauce, I overcooked it a bit yesterday, and I am afraid it’s very thick. Can I reheat it on the stove with a little more OJ or water to thin it out? Thanks.
Hi Emma, Yes definitely – that should work well (and you can use either OJ or water). Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Jen,
How many cups is 12 oz. of cranberries?
Thank you!
Hi Carmelita, a 12 ounce bag has 3 cups.
Made exactly as instructed and it came out fantastic! I may have to turn in my cans!
So good I might have to make a 2nd batch for Thanksgiving.
Tastes great and easy to make!