Happy Friday friends! I hope you’ve had a good week and recovered from any sugar highs and candy crazes that Halloween brought. We’re working on that… But let’s move on to the FOOD! Cranberry sauce was never a big thing for me at Thanksgiving. I didn’t get the hype about it. Actually, I was a kid, so I probably didn’t know there was hype about it. And for all of you who feel the same way, please trust me and give this recipe a try. My homemade easy cranberry sauce is the perfect amount of sweetness – without making you feel like you just ate a bowl of pure sugar – and has such a great richness and robustness from the orange zest and the honey. It’s all about the balance. It’s also all about being super duper easy and very fast. Just 15 minutes and 4 ingredients. Which means you’ll be able to make it ALL the time, like I’ve been doing already this fall. Basically, I went from being a non-cranberry sauce lover to being a little bit obsessed. I use this sauce in my leftover Thanksgiving turkey cranberry cream cheese sandwich (aka sandwich heaven!) and in my cranberry balsamic pork chops. It’s also part of my slow cooker cranberry Dijon chicken, which is just 5 ingredients, 5 minutes to prep and so flavorful! I also use it in my whole wheat cranberry sauce muffins, which are great for breakfast or brunch around the holidays. And if you want a different twist, try this fresh cranberry salsa! If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Recipe Notes:
You can substitute fresh orange juice for some or all of the water if you want more orange flavor in your cranberry sauce. You can add the honey to taste, to get it to your desired level of sweetness. I like mine mid-level sweet, I’d say, and I use a heaping tablespoon. It depends on the tartness of the cranberries though. I prefer my cranberry sauce a little chunky like this, but you can blend the mixture if you want a smoother cranberry sauce. You have to sorta test and see about the amount of liquid after yours is all mixed. It can vary a lot. I often add the juice of the orange that I zested at the end if it seems thick. Keep in mind, too, that the sauce will thicken as it cools and will also thicken over time. If you are making this in advance, I highly recommend you add extra liquid (¼ cup or so).
I know how crazy holiday food preparation can be, so I also wanted to say that you an absolutely make this ahead of time. It needs to chill in the fridge anyway, so it’s definitely a side dish you can fix the day before - or several days before. That can be so helpful when we’re juggling tons of different dishes. Oh, and speaking of storage…
Storage Tips:
Cranberry sauce, once cooled, can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 1 week. Cranberry sauce also can be frozen. Place the cooled cranberry sauce in a ziptop bag or a freezer-safe container, that’s labelled, and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge until fully thawed.
Cranberry sauce is going to be a new condiment staple in this house. I’d better go make another batch… Enjoy friends and have a great weekend! XO, Kathryn Orange juice: You can substitute fresh orange juice for some or all the water if you want more orange flavor in your cranberry sauce. Or add some extra at the end if you want to thin out the sauce. Consistency: I prefer my cranberry sauce a little chunky like this, but you can blend the mixture if you want a smooth cranberry sauce. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken as it cools and will also thicken over time. If you are making this in advance, I highly recommend you add extra liquid (¼ cup or so). Storage: This cranberry sauce will keep in the fridge for at least a week. Freezing: You can also freeze extras for up to 6 months. Place the cooled cranberry sauce in a ziptop bag or a freezer-safe container, that’s labelled, and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge until fully thawed.
