Skip the jellied cranberry log this year and instead opt for this delicious and cirtrusy homemade cranberry sauce. This recipe is from my friend Carole and one I enjoy eating - and making - every year.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Cooling1 hourhr
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberry, cranberry sauce, side dish, Thanksgiving
16ouncesfresh cranberries washed - frozen okay but fresh preferred
2diced applespeeled and cored
1cuporange juicefreshly squeezed
1tbspzest of orangeequals zest of 1 lemon (approximate)
1tbspzest of lemonequals zest of 1 orange (approximate)
1 cupgranulated sugar
1-2cinnamon sticks
Instructions
Add all ingredients into a large saucepan, then bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer. Stir the mixture often until the sugar dissolves, the cranberry skins begin popping, and the liquid cooks down.
Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat and cool at room temperature. The cranberry sauce will set as it cools. Remove the cinnamon stick(s).
Store the cooled cranberry sauce in an airtight sealed container In your fridge until serving. You can enjoy the sauce cold or even slightly warm.
Notes
Fresh vs. Frozen Cranberries: If you're making this recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you can easily find fresh cranberries at the grocery store. I highly recommend using fresh cranberries when possible. If you can't find fresh cranberries, you can alternatively use frozen cranberries. Defrost and drain them before cooking as instructed in the recipe card below.Add-Ins: Feel free to add other spices and textures to your cranberry sauce. I add ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamon to my cranberry sauce and dried crystallized ginger pieces in my Warm Brie Cheese and Spiced Cranberry Compote Appetizer.Apples: I use Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, or Fuji apples. I recommend using a sweet apple because the cranberries are already quite tart.Don't Have a Cinnamon Stick? Add 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon instead.