This is the best cranberry sauce made with fresh orange juice! I do love cranberries, so I decided to make this basic cranberry side dish recipe with fresh cranberries and orange juice. Cranberry sauce isn’t just for holidays or turkey sandwiches, try some on pancakes, pork chops, stirred into yogurt, dolloped onto Brie cheese, or one of my favorites, topped on cheesecake.
If you have some leftover cranberries make some cranberry orange scones for Thanksgiving morning.
Another great fruit sauce you might enjoy is my Apple Butter or Pomegranate Butter recipes.
Table of Contents
How to Cook Fresh Cranberries
- Be sure to use enough sugar. Sugar helps the sauce thicken so don’t cut back on the amount of sugar, or you may end up with a soupy sauce.
- If your cranberry sauce won't correctly, add a thickener like pectin or a cornstarch slurry. Cornstarch slurry is made by whisking together cornstarch and water to form a paste or slurry.
- Similarly to making jam, watch your sauce so it doesn’t boil over.
- As the cranberries simmer, you'll hear a popping sound, don’t get freaked out, it’s normal. The popping sound is the berries bursting through the skins and releasing the natural pectin.
Variations and Substitutions
- Adding a little cinnamon or cinnamon sticks to the sauce spices the flavor up a bit.
- Use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes, especially if you are making this for a holiday meal, you have enough to do in the kitchen. Cranberry sauce can be made up to 3 days before or freeze it for up to one month.
Stored in an airtight covered container your homemade cranberry sauce will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If you don’t think you will use it up within that time frame then pour the sauce into covered airtight containers and freeze for up to one month.
Can I freeze fresh cranberry sauce?
Yes, homemade cranberry sauce freezes well. make a larger batch and freeze for later. make.
Freeze your homemade sauce in an airtight container or freezer-safe plastic bag to prevent freezer burn.
If there is any strange smell, flavor appearance, or mold, toss it!
📖 Recipe
Easy Cranberry Sauce
Ready to serve in under an hour and can be made a couple of days ahead. Tangy cranberries mixed with sweet orange flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce package (about 2 cups) cranberries, can use fresh or frozen
- ¾ cup orange juice or water
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a 1.5-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring often so the mixture does not burn.
- Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or just until the cranberries start to break up and the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and serve warm or chilled.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: ¼ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 46Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 0g
The nutritional information provided here are estimates and are not calculated by a registered dietitian.
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