Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Thanksgiving week is always one of the busiest weeks of the year for me. Many hours are spent in the kitchen. No complaints from me though, as I love to cook for my family: fresh rolls, roasted veggies, and homemade cranberry sauce! Also, it means that we will all be together, even if it’s just for a day.
Today was Cranberry Sauce making day! None of that cranberry “sauce” from a can for me. Nope! Of all the dishes I cook for our Thanksgiving feast, my chunky Cranberry Sauce is right at the top of my favorites list. I love the aroma as it cooks and the freshness of its flavor is unbeatable.
In this Post:
⭐️Cranberry Sauce Recipe
(serves 10-12, about 3 cups)
- 12 oz Fresh Cranberries, rinsed & sorted
- 1 1/4 cups Filtered Water
- 1 1/4 cups Sugar
- 2-3 Oranges, zested & juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Clove
- Pinch Nutmeg
- 1-2 Cinnamon Sticks
Making the Cranberry Sauce
I often make my Cranberry Sauce a day or two in advance. This allows the flavors of the plump tart cranberries to meld with the brightness of the fresh squeezed orange juice and rich spices. If you don’t have overnight, then chill at least 3 hours.
Place cranberries in colander. Wash and sort. Set aside to drain.
Zest the oranges.
Squeeze the juice of oranges into 1-cup liquid measuring cup until you’ve squeezed 1/3 cup. Squeezing the juice through a small sieve will help remove pulp and seeds.
Stir corn starch into orange juice until dissolved.
In medium sauce pan, combine water and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer 7 minutes.
Remove from heat. Stir in orange juice, orange zest, cranberries, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon stick(s).
Return to heat and simmer 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally. Have a lid on hand to partially cover the pan when the cranberries begin to burst. Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
💚Prefer Cranberry Jelly? No problem! After cooking, fish out the cinnamon sticks, then pulse it with an immersion blender until smooth. For an extra smooth finish, pass through a fine sieve into your serving bowl. If desired, push those cinnamon sticks back into the sauce. Then cover and pop in the refrigerator to chill.
Not Just for Thanksgiving!
The bright color, spiced flavor, and rich aroma of the Cranberry Sauce is perfect for cheering any chilly fall or winter day. If you haven’t had your fill by the time all the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, make another batch and:
- Serve it as part of a winter holiday smorgasbord!
- Serve with fresh hot rolls and warm apple cider after an activity outside in the wintry air.
- Spread on a toasted bagel with cream cheese.
💚Don’t Toss the Orange Peels
You bought the oranges, so make the most of them!
- After zesting and juicing the oranges, carefully cut off the peel, avoiding the fruit inside.
- Cut these pieces into smaller pieces.
- Place those pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at the lowest temperature possible.
- Stir periodically until all moisture is lost and peels are crisp (but not toasted).
- This should take 2-3 hours.
- Cool completely before storing in an air tight jar.
Add a bit of dried orange peel to your next cup of hot black tea or as a central ingredient in an herbal tea, like Sweet Orange Mint Tea. It’s delicious!
Dried orange peel can also be used in handcrafted Elderberry Syrup.
This year, don’t serve the canned stuff! I hope you’ll give my Cranberry Sauce a try. I’m sure you’ll love it as much as we do.
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Mom’s Recommended Suppliers
A general list of my favorite kitchen tools, including all the tools I used to make this Cranberry Sauce, can be found at Amazon.
For high quality, organically grown kitchen spices, I recommend these suppliers.
- Elanen naturals (on Amazon) where all the herbs and teas are Certified Organic
- Mountain Rose Herbs for hand-packaged wildcrafted and organic bulk herbs, teas, and spices
- Starwest Botanicals for a wide range of organic and wildcrafted herbs, teas, and spices (and coffee, too)
- Also at Starwest Botanicals on Amazon, if you’re in a pinch
- Anthony’s Goods (on Amazon) for organic loose leaf herbs, powdered herbs, spices, flours, teas, and more
- FGOrganics (on Amazon) for organic edible flowers and teas
- The Spice Way (on Amazon) for farm to table, hand packaged, whole and ground spices and spice blends
- Spice Train (on Amazon) for beautifully aromatic organic whole and ground spices
- Gustus Vitae (on Amazon) for richly flavorful spices, seasoning blends, and salts
Chris P | Author, Certified Aromatherapist, Natural Skin Care Formulator
Chris (“Mom”) enjoys formulating bespoke aromatherapy, skin care, and herbal products to support her family, pets, friends, and clients. She also loves experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. An avid reader, writer, and lifetime learner, Chris enthusiastically explores research rabbit holes and then writes about her discoveries.💚 (Learn more >>)
