Fresh Cranberry Sauce

This seasonal must-have features vibrant fresh cranberries, scented with orange and cinnamon, and simmered until thick and luxurious.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword cranberry sauce, fresh cranberries, holiday side dishes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Cooling Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 138kcal

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of salt
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries when using fresh cranberries, rinse and pick them over to remove/discard any soft or discolored fruit

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, orange juice, both sugars, cinnamon stick, and salt. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
For traditional cranberry sauce, add all cranberries and bring to a boil (for whole berry cranberry sauce, reserve a heaping 1/2 cup of berries to add later).
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until most (or all) cranberries have burst (note that frozen berries will take longer to break down). The longer you simmer, the thicker the mixture will get; just note that the mixture will thicken as it cools.
For whole berry cranberry sauce, add the reserved 1/2 cup of berries and simmer for 1 minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
Transfer the cranberry sauce to a bowl or sealable container and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.