Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Make Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce with fresh cranberries, orange juice, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon. Perfect for holidays!
Equipment
- 2-quart saucepan
- Zester
- Juicer
- Large Bowl
- colander
- slotted spoon
- Silicone Spatula
Ingredients
- 12 oz Fresh Cranberries1
- ½ cup Water
- ½ cup Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice2
- ¾ cup Dark Brown Sugar3
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Orange Zest2
- 2 pinches Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with cool water and add the fresh cranberries. Gently swirl them around to remove dirt and debris. Most cranberries will float because they contain natural air pockets. Discard any cranberries that are soft, mushy, moldy, or badly shriveled, regardless of whether they float or sink. Using a slotted spoon, remove the good cranberries from the water and transfer them to a colander to drain. Discard any cranberries that may have sunk to the bottom of the bowl.
- Place all of the drained cranberries in a medium saucepan. Add the water, freshly squeezed orange juice, dark brown sugar, and ground cinnamon. Stir to combine. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries begin to pop and burst and the sauce starts to thicken.
- Stir in the orange zest and Kosher salt. Continue cooking for another three minutes, stirring to distribute the zest evenly throughout the sauce.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the cranberry sauce to cool slightly. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- Yield: 2½ cups
Tips/Notes
- Choose fresh, firm cranberries. Look for cranberries that are plump and firm, with colors ranging from light red to deep burgundy. Avoid cranberries that are soft, mushy, moldy, or severely shriveled. You can also use frozen if you are unable to find fresh.
- I recommend using Cara Cara oranges if you can find them. Wash and dry the oranges. Finely grate enough zest from one orange to measure 1 teaspoon, being careful to avoid the bitter white pith. Cut the oranges in half and squeeze enough juice to measure ½ cup. Strain the juice through a small colander into a measuring cup. I used three oranges to get ½ cup of juice.
- Light brown sugar can be substituted in equal amounts for dark brown sugar. However, dark brown sugar contains more molasses, giving the sauce a slightly richer flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 84kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.01gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.02gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.01gSodium: 84mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 46IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 0.2mg
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