Best Cranberry Sauce Recipe

You’ll never eat cranberry sauce from a can again after making my homemade Cranberry Sauce recipe!

The addition of fresh orange juice and peel take the flavor of this cranberry sauce to a whole new level! Even cranberry sauce haters love this simple recipe.

And while the flavor is so much better than any other cranberry sauce I’ve tried before, it’s incredibly easy to make with only a handful of ingredients. It’s the best cranberry sauce recipe to serve with your Thanksgiving meal!

By the Numbers: How to Make Cranberry Sauce

Learn how to make your own cranberry sauce and you’ll never eat the canned stuff again!

Step 1: Gather Ingredients.

The first thing you want to do is measure out your ingredients and have everything ready to go because this recipe comes together quickly.

Step 2: Dissolve Sugar.

After you have your ingredients ready, add ¾ cup white sugar and ⅔ cup water to a medium saucepan and heat over medium, stirring frequently, until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Step 3: Add Cranberries, Orange and Salt.

Once the sugar is dissolved into the water, add 16 ounces of cranberries, ⅔ cup of orange juice (we prefer pulp free), 1-2 large slices of orange rind and a pinch of salt to your saucepan and mix together with a heavy wooden spoon.

Step 4: Simmer Until Cranberries Pop.

Bring all of your ingredients to a simmer and continue cooking until most of the whole berries have popped (you will hear them popping).

Step 5: Cook to a Jam-Like Consistency.

Once most of the cranberries are popped, turn the burner down to a lower heat, stir to break down the cranberries and keep cooking, stirring frequently, until it has thickened and reached a loose jam-like consistency.

It usually takes about 10-15 minutes for me (it may take more or less for you, so keep an eye on it).

Step 6: Chill then Serve.

Once you’re happy with the consistency, throw away the orange peel, then chill your cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator until it’s time to serve. When you’re ready to serve, transfer the finished sauce to a nice serving dish.

Tips for Making Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Answers to your questions about making this fresh cranberry sauce recipe from scratch.

1. How much to make per guest?

This is where it depends on the crowd. If your guests only use cranberry sauce as a garnish, you may be able to scrape by with ¼ cup per guest. If they like to eat it as a side, I recommend making ½ cup per guest.

If you have a large group, you can double the ingredients and use a larger heavy saucepan. The cook time may take a bit longer as well, but the ingredient ratios stay the same.

2. Can a different sweetener be used?

I personally prefer cranberry sauce made with good, old fashioned white sugar. However, it also tastes great when it’s made with honey.

Other sweeteners like brown sugar or pure maple syrup alter the flavor in a way that doesn’t complement tart cranberries quite like white sugar or honey does.

3. What about adding orange zest?

Some people like to add orange zest instead of the big pieces of orange peel. You can definitely do that, just make sure when you’re zesting your orange, you don’t get any of the pith in the sauce or it can leave a bitter taste.

4. What temperature should cranberry sauce be served at?

This simple cranberry sauce tastes best when served at room temperature or slightly chilled.

5. What to serve cranberry sauce with?

The flavor is the perfect compliment for roast turkey, chicken and other poultry. We always have it on our Thanksgiving table, but it’s great for any holiday meal.

Another great use for it is to make a Baked Brie Appetizer. While I typically make it with hot pepper jelly, it’s also great topped with sweet cranberry sauce and toasted pecans!

In addition to making a great jam, cranberry sauce is delicious on leftover turkey sandwiches the next day. I also love to spread it on warm dinner rolls or stir it into my morning oatmeal.

If you need more ideas for using it, Epicurious put together a great list of alternative cranberry sauce uses.

More of my favorite recipes to make for Thanksgiving:

• Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Gluten Free Gravy
• Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
• Buttermilk Pie

6. Where to buy fresh cranberries?

You can normally get them at the grocery store around the holidays. This year, I bought my cranberries from Imperfect Foods as part of my weekly order. They were really beautiful and worked great in this recipe.

7. How to make smooth cranberry jelly?

If you want more of a cranberry jelly consistency than a jam consistency, you have a couple of options:

1. The best way is to run the cooled cranberry sauce through a food mill to remove all of the skins. (This food mill at QVC is similar to mine.)
2. If you don’t have a food mill, you can also pop it in your food processor or a good blender (like a Blendtec) to make it smoother.

8. Can you make this simple cranberry sauce ahead of time?

Yes, this simple cranberry sauce can be made up to 3-4 days in advance.

9. How long does homemade cranberry sauce last?

If you store your homemade cranberry sauce properly in an airtight container in the fridge, it should keep for 10-14 days.

You can also freeze it in freezer-safe airtight containers or bags for up to a year, but the flavor will decline over time.

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