Team Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Where do you fall in the debate of canned versus fresh cranberry sauce?  I’m definitely on team fresh cranberry sauce, especially with this simple cranberry sauce available in my arsenal!

Growing up, I think I always avoided the cranberry sauce, mostly because of the way the consistency looked.  Something about the wiggly jelly in a flavor that I can’t imagine many kids like, I was always turned off.  Then adulthood came, I realized cranberries are absolutely delicious and bam!  My realization of the amazingness of cranberry sauce arrived. The tart fresh jelly mixed with the rich foods that make up the rest of the Thanksgiving menu gives your entire plate so much life!

Now, I can’t imagine the holiday season without cranberry sauce.  I think I’d eat it every day with every meal if I could. Beyond the typical Thanksgiving dinner, it’s so good on sandwiches, with roasted pork or chicken, and especially on some cheese.  I know I’ll have a container in my fridge for the next few weeks to sneak in as much as I can.

Tips for a Delicious Cranberry Sauce

• Near the end of cooking the cranberry sauce, it will go from full cranberries to sauce in a matter of a few minutes. Once it gets to this point, stir often to ensure the last few whole cranberries pop along the sides of the saucepan and it doesn't cook too quickly onto the bottom of the pan.
• When making this simple cranberry sauce ahead of time, the sauce will thicken significantly when cooled. Take the pan off of the stovetop a minute earlier than you think you need to ensure it stays the consistenty you prefer.
• A tip for your wardrobe: sometimes a rogue cranberry will pop and a bit of juice will be sent out of the pan. Be sure to wear an apron or dark colored shirt to save yourself from an a potentially annoying stain.
• The bourbon or Grand Marnier in this dish is completely optional - it's delicious without! But adding either will level up the dish and make it more adult. It's the perfect addition for a Friendsgiving, but likely isn't very kid-friendly.
  

Recipe Details

If I haven’t already sold you on making your own cranberry sauce, here is my last and best selling point: it’s so simple.  If you’re anything like me, I found it so intimidating before I did it once.  After the first time I tried, I felt so silly.  It’s relatively quick and so low maintenance, I’ll never buy canned sauce again (unless I’m in a pinch).

To make the simple cranberry sauce, add all of your ingredients to a medium-large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Give it a good stir to start and then let it simmer, letting the sauce bubble up and the cranberries pop.  Stirring every few minutes, let the mixture continue to bubble for 15 to 20 minutes until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce becomes smoother and more jelly-like.  Closer to 15 minutes will give you a thicker sauce, while closer to 20 minutes will give you a smoother consistency.  Take the cranberry sauce off the heat and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a serving dish and topping with orange zest.

If you’re making cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, this can easily be made a couple days ahead, making one less thing on your list for the day of.  Once you take the cranberry sauce off the heat, let cool completely and then place in teh fridge in an air-tight container.  Once you’re ready to serve, you can serve it cold or gently warm it again on the stove top before topping with the orange zest.

If you make this recipe, I would love to know!  Tag me in your photos on Instagram or Facebook and have a happy holiday season!