Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Whole cranberries simmer with sugar, orange juice, and water until they burst into a glossy, ruby-red sauce. Orange zest adds brightness without overpowering the berries. Leave most of the fruit in pieces for a chunky, spoonable finish, and take the pan off the heat while the sauce still looks a little loose. Cranberries contain natural pectin, so the sauce thickens as it cools.
Makes about 2 cups, or 8 servings. Allow 5 minutes to prepare, 10 to 15 minutes to cook, and additional time to cool.
Ingredients for Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- 1 standard 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups or 340g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- Pinch of fine salt
Discard any soft or damaged fresh cranberries before rinsing. Frozen cranberries can go straight into the pan without thawing.
How to Make Cranberry Sauce on the Stovetop
- Prepare the cranberries: Sort, rinse, and drain fresh berries. Leave frozen berries frozen.
- Dissolve the sugar: Combine the sugar, orange juice, water, orange zest, and salt in a high-sided 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Simmer the berries: Stir in the cranberries and let the mixture return to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring gently and occasionally. Start checking around 8 minutes. Most berries should have burst, with recognizable pieces suspended in glossy, lightly syrupy liquid. Use care when stirring; popping berries can splatter. Frozen berries may take an extra minute or two to return to a simmer.
- Keep the sauce chunky: Remove the pan from the heat. Leave most berries intact, or gently press a small portion against the side of the pan for a more cohesive sauce. Do not puree it.
- Cool and serve: Let the sauce cool in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes, then transfer it to a small serving bowl or airtight container. Serve once fully cooled, or refrigerate for at least 2 hours for a thicker set.
How to Tell When Cranberry Sauce Is Done
The hot sauce should flow slowly from a spoon rather than hold a firm mound in the pan. Cooking it until it looks thick while hot can make it too stiff after chilling. If the cooled sauce is thicker than you like, stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time until it is spoonable.
Cranberry Sauce Variations
- Without orange: Replace the orange juice with another 1/2 cup water and omit the zest for a sharper, berry-forward sauce.
- More orange: Replace the water with another 1/2 cup orange juice. The citrus flavor will be stronger, and sweetness may vary with the juice.
- Warm spice: Add 1 small cinnamon stick with the cranberries and remove it before cooling. Or stir 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon into the sugar and liquids.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
Make the sauce several days ahead if convenient. Once fully cooled, cover and refrigerate it in an airtight container for 1 to 2 weeks. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature with turkey, chicken, or ham, or spoon it onto leftover sandwiches.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled sauce in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. To serve it warm, heat gently in a saucepan, adding a small splash of water if needed to loosen it.
Nutrition
Approximate per serving, based on 8 servings: 100 calories, 0g protein, 0g fat, and 26g carbohydrates. Approximate per 100g of finished sauce: 145 calories, less than 1g protein, 0g fat, and 36g carbohydrates. Values vary with the final yield and orange juice used.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- 2- to 3-quart saucepan
- wooden spoon
- fine grater
- serving bowl or airtight container
Ingredients
- 1 standard 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups or 340 g)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- Pinch of fine salt
Instructions
- Sort, rinse, and drain fresh cranberries, discarding any soft or damaged berries. Keep frozen cranberries frozen.
- Combine the sugar, orange juice, water, orange zest, and salt in a high-sided 2- to 3-quart saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the cranberries and return the mixture to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring gently and occasionally, until most berries have burst and the sauce is glossy and lightly syrupy.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Leave most berries intact, or gently press a small portion against the side of the pan for a more cohesive sauce.
- Cool the sauce in the pan for 20 to 30 minutes, then transfer it to a serving bowl or airtight container.
- Serve fully cooled, or refrigerate for at least 2 hours for a thicker set.
Tips
- Use a high-sided saucepan because bursting cranberries can splatter.
- Start checking the sauce after 8 minutes of simmering.
- Remove the sauce while it still looks slightly loose; it thickens as it cools.
- Do not puree the sauce if you prefer a chunky texture.
- If chilled sauce is too thick, stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time until spoonable.
- Frozen cranberries may need an extra minute or two to return to a simmer.
Variations
- Without Orange: Replace the orange juice with an additional 1/2 cup water and omit the orange zest for a sharper berry-forward sauce.
- More Orange: Replace the water with an additional 1/2 cup orange juice for a stronger citrus flavor.
- Warm Spice: Add 1 small cinnamon stick with the cranberries and remove it before cooling, or add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the sugar and liquids.