Okay, I’m going to be honest here… I grew up eating and LOVING jellied cranberry sauce from a can. There’s something about the nostalgia of cracking open a cold can of cranberry sauce & shaking it until it plops onto a plate. I can’t picture a Thanksgiving meal without it.
Lately I’ve been thinking of ways to switch up my usual Thanksgiving routine, and this fresh cranberry sauce was definitely a winner in my list of attempts. The orange peel and juice lends a slight citrus punch, while the cinnamon stick adds that warm fall feel and aroma.
Let’s Make The Best Cranberry Sauce!
There are only four steps when it comes to making this cranberry sauce.
- Dissolve the sugars.
- Infuse the berries with the citrus, thyme, & cinnamon.
- Bring to a boil & reduce to a simmer.
- Pour into a bowl & let it cool.
It could not be any easier than that! The whole process takes about 15 minutes and only has a few ingredients, which all can be easily sourced. I was able to find the cranberries in Target in the produce section with the other berries. They were only $2.50 for a 12 oz bag, so of course I bought two! I’ll be freezing one bag and using them for different things, especially in cocktails.
All of Your Cranberry Sauce Questions, Answered!
If you simmered the sauce for at least 10 minutes, you should be fine! The sauce thickens up a lot as it cools at room temperature, and even more so after it is chilled.
If store properly in an airtight container, you cranberry sauce should be good for 10-14 days. This make it the perfect side to make ahead of Thanksgiving Day. We love getting things prepared early to reduce the stress on the big day.
Cranberries are tart by nature, however I believe that the mix of sugars and citrus in this recipe cuts the tartness down while maintaining the integrity of the beautiful cranberries. Definitely the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Watch The Full Video Tutorial, Here:
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Cranberry Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
This fresh cranberry sauce has hints of citrus and notes of cinnamon, making it the perfect accompaniment to your Holiday meals.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 3/4 cup water
- peel from half an orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 thyme sprig
Instructions
- Place water, orange juice, and both sugars into a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the flame to medium heat and simmer for ten minutes.
- Pour into a bowl and cool at room temperature. Store in a refrigerator.
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