Classic Cranberry Sauce

For years I bought the canned cranberry sauce for our Thanksgiving meal. With a big meal to prepare, I didn't want to be bothered with something that people seemed to enjoy from a can. Then I read that cranberry sauce can be made a couple months in advance, and it keeps well in the refrigerator. With this enlightening information, I decided to try out a recipe. This simple recipe comes from the Serious Eats website. It is simple to prepare, and it is just as good, if not better than the canned stuff. My family gave this sauce a big thumbs up, and that vote of confidence is all the approval I need!

Bon Appetit!

Tips:

As noted in the introduction, you can make this cranberry sauce a couple of months ahead of time. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When removing the peel from the orange, make sure to get the outer layer of the orange and not the white pith. The pith would make the cranberry sauce bitter.

Preparation time is 10 minutes. Total time is 55 minutes.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 strips orange peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of Kosher salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries start to pop. Press the berries against side of pan with a wooden spoon and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries are completely broken down and achieve a jam-like consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool about 30 minutes. Remove the strips of orange peel and the cinnamon stick. Stir in water; 1 tablespoon at a time to adjust to a desired consistency. The cranberry sauce can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Serves 8 to 12.