Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Bright, tart-sweet cranberry sauce with fresh orange zest and a hint of cinnamon. A classic side dish that's ready in 20 minutes and far superior to canned.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 110
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 whole fresh orange
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Pour 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar into a medium saucepan. Set the pan over medium-high heat and stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle boil, about 3-4 minutes. You'll see small, steady bubbles breaking the surface.
- 2
Rinse 12 oz of fresh cranberries under cold water and pick through them quickly, discarding any that are soft, shriveled, or have dark spots—you want firm, bright berries. Add all the good ones to the boiling sugar syrup.
- 3
Finely zest one fresh orange directly over the saucepan using a microplane zester—you want about 1 tablespoon of zest. Stir the zest into the cranberries. The mixture will stop boiling briefly, then return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer, stirring occasionally.
- 4
Simmer until the cranberries begin to pop open—you'll hear them burst and see the skins split—and the liquid turns a deep ruby-red, about 8-10 minutes. The sauce will look loose and jammy at this point, which is exactly what you want.
- 5
Add 0.25 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 0.125 teaspoon of fine sea salt. Stir well to combine. Taste a small spoonful once it cools slightly—the balance should be tart with underlying sweetness and warmth from the cinnamon.
- 6
Pour the cranberry sauce into a serving bowl or storage container. Let it cool to room temperature—it will thicken significantly as it cools, reaching a spreadable, gel-like consistency. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Tools you’ll need
- medium saucepan
- microplane zester
- wooden spoon
- instant-read thermometer (optional)
- serving bowl or storage container
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
