Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving staple and often the only spot of brightness on a table full of brown, orange, and tan. While canned cranberry sauce is available year-round, fresh cranberries come to market in October, making it an ideal time to whip up a batch of this sauce — which is actually an entry-level jam — and have it waiting for your Thanksgiving table.
Even if you love the canned stuff, making homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving or Christmas is worth a go. It gives you control of how sweet or tart the final sauce is, and it’s remarkably easy to make.
- Zest and juice oranges: Use Valencia or navel oranges for their fresh citrus flavor.
- Simmer with sugar: Add the orange zest, juice, and sugar to a pot. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring to help the sugar dissolve.
- Cook the cranberries: Add the cranberries, then simmer for at least 10 minutes or until they burst to release their full gelling power.
- Let cool and serve: For a looser cranberry sauce, the sauce can be served warm. If you prefer a thicker (canned-like) consistency, cover and refrigerate overnight.
How to Serve Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is a favorite at Thanksgiving since it’s a sweet-tart foil to a table filled with such rich flavor, but I have found that cranberry sauce is one of those dishes that tastes better the next day or even a few days after it is made. The sauce will gel as it cools and become sweeter.
