Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving icon that probably invokes memories, whether they’re of can-shaped jelly plopped unceremoniously into a bowl or of your family’s homemade cranberry sauce recipe. For me, the sweet-tart sauce reminds me of driving down Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast. In late October, the cranberry farmers in Bandon flood the bogs, turning hundreds of acres of farmland into a pinkish-red mosaic of floating cranberries. I can practically taste the sweet-tart fruit as I drive by!

Alongside concord grapes and certain wild berries, cranberries are one of the handful of fruits native to North America (which is likely how they ended up becoming part of the traditional Thanksgiving meal). But anyone living in cranberry country knows these antioxidant-rich berries aren’t just for Thanksgiving dinner; when turned into a sweet-and-sour sauce, they tastes good on just about anything. After making this cranberry sauce recipe with orange juice, you’ll understand why it’s one of our top cranberry recipes.

How to Make Cranberry Sauce

After a marathon day of cooking, it might seem like an easy shortcut to grab a canned cranberry sauce brand. But a can of cranberry sauce isn’t nearly as good (or good-looking) as the from-scratch variety. Fortunately, making your own cranberry sauce using fresh or frozen berries is incredibly easy.

The sauce is made in three quick steps: Dissolve the sugar in orange juice, simmer the mixture with cranberries and let it chill. That’s it! Unlike homemade jam and jelly recipes, this homemade cranberry sauce recipe doesn’t even require thickeners like cornstarch. Cranberries contain pectin (a natural thickener), which is released as the sauce simmers and thickens as it cools.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Ingredients

• Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are in season from September to December. Use fresh cranberries if you can find them, but frozen cranberries are fine if fresh ones aren’t available. Just don’t use dried cranberries, as they don’t have enough moisture to make a robust sauce.
• Sugar: Sugar balances out the cranberry’s naturally tart character and thickens the sauce to an ideal consistency. We usually use granulated sugar, but brown sugar also works if you want to add molasses-rich, toffee-like flavors to the sauce.
• Orange juice and zest: Freshly squeezed orange juice adds the freshest, brightest flavor to cranberry sauce recipes. You’ll need a whole orange to get the zest anyway, so squeezing the juice at home is a no-brainer. You can squeeze it by hand or pop it into a citrus juicer like the electric Proctor Silex juicer.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the ingredients

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In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, orange juice and zest.

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Add the cranberries.

Step 2: Simmer

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Cook the sauce over medium heat until the berries pop, about 15 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: The cranberry sauce should reach a healthy simmer, but it doesn’t need to boil. The cranberries will lose their plump texture if the sauce gets too hot.

Step 3: Chill the sauce

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Remove the sauce from the heat. Cover and refrigerate it for at least one hour, or until it’s chilled.

Editor’s Tip: Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools, so don’t worry if it doesn’t look thick enough on the stovetop. Just before serving, taste the sauce to make sure it’s balanced to your liking. You can sweeten it with a dash of maple syrup or honey, or tone down the sweetness with a splash of lemon juice.

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How to Use Cranberry Sauce

• Make a traditional Thanksgiving meal: Cranberry sauce is a classic addition to any Thanksgiving dinner menu. It adds moisture to turkey, and its tart character counterbalances the richness of sides like mashed potatoes and gravy. The sauce also tastes incredible when incorporated into ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers.
• Use it as a sandwich spread: Cranberries are the perfect complement to pork, chicken or turkey cranberry sandwiches. Swipe the sauce over multigrain bread before piling it high with sandwich fixings. Or try stirring a heaping spoonful of sauce into cream cheese to make a tasty cranberry cream cheese spread.
• Include it on a cheese platter: Include a small dish of cranberry sauce with your next cheese tray or charcuterie board. It makes an excellent spread for crackers and crostini, and tastes great with all types of cheese.
• Glaze or braise meats: This sauce works well as a glaze for meats like pork chops, ham or cranberry sauce meatballs. You can also add a spoonful of the sauce to meaty braising recipes like chuck roast or chicken thighs.
• Serve it for breakfast: Add a spoonful to your morning oatmeal, yogurt or cottage cheese. Or use it as the jam on biscuits or cornbread.
• Bake with it: Swirl the sauce into quick bread recipes or use it for making muffin recipes like cranberry orange muffins. The tart sauce also makes a fantastic garnish for traditional cheesecake.

Cranberry Sauce Variations

• Add flavor: Feel free to add a dash of vanilla or lemon extract to the cranberry sauce to give it a boost. Or add warming flavors with 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice or 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger.
• Make it spicy: If you’re a culinary daredevil, simmer your sauce with a halved jalapeno (just remove it before serving). This preparation is particularly well-suited for meaty dishes like cranberry pork roast.
• Go nuts: Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chopped and toasted pecans, walnuts or pistachios. This gives the sauce a nice crunch and texture.
• Make it rustic: Stir in 1/3 cup of raisins, currants or chopped dried apricots for a more rustic cranberry sauce.
• Splash in your favorite tipple: To add traditional holiday flavor, add 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur or spiced rum. Add the liquor or rum at the same time as the juice, sugar and orange zest. The cooking process will burn away any harsh alcohol taste (and the alcohol itself) while providing an extra layer of flavor.

How to Store Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Let the cranberry sauce cool slightly. Transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Don’t worry if you end up with a lot of extra sauce; there are plenty of delicious ways to use leftover cranberry sauce.

How long does homemade cranberry sauce last?

Homemade cranberry sauce will last for up to two weeks in the fridge. It’s OK to leave the sauce at room temperature for up to two hours, but it needs to be refrigerated for long-term storage. (Psst: For other leftovers tips, check out our guide to storing Thanksgiving food.)

Can you freeze cranberry sauce?

Homemade cranberry sauce is one of many Thanksgiving leftovers that can be frozen. It will keep in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat it as directed below.

Can you make cranberry sauce ahead of time?

This easy cranberry sauce can be made several days in advance. Once made, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat it, warm it in the microwave and stir it halfway through. Alternatively, you can simmer it over medium-low heat on the stovetop until it’s warmed through.

Cranberry Sauce Tips

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What type of cranberry sauce is created with this recipe?

This cranberry sauce recipe with orange juice has a loose, jam-like consistency that makes it similar to a fruit chutney. It doesn’t have the jiggly consistency of store-bought jellied cranberry sauce (although you can use it to make a cranberry gelatin mold). It’s sweeter and thicker than cranberry relish, which isn’t cooked and has a brighter, more tart flavor.

Can you use frozen cranberries to make the best cranberry sauce recipe?

You can make homemade cranberry sauce with fresh or frozen cranberries. If using frozen cranberries, don’t bother thawing them before use. Simply add the frozen berries to the saucepan as directed. Adjust the cooking time as needed for the berries to come to a simmer and pop.

How do you fix bitter cranberry sauce?

One of Ree Drummond’s Thanksgiving tips is to use maple syrup to fix bitter cranberry sauce. Simply stir the syrup into the sauce until it loses its tart, bitter edge.