Easy cranberry sauce recipe with multiple variations

November 10, 12:23 PMSeattle Garden & Kitchen ExaminerJerry & Kristy

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     Homemade cranberry sauce is more flavorable

Cranberry sauce is a side dish that people seem to either love or hate. Many people who dislike cranberry sauce have only tasted it from a can. And that’s a shame because there is a world of difference from that gel that slips out of the can (still holding the can shape) and homemade cranberry sauce.

Homemade cranberry sauce not only tastes wonderful; it is super easy to make! And it is just as easy to make variations that will give it a little kick, some tartness or add a bit of crunch. 

 It really is super easy and it is nice to offer a couple of Cranberry sauce options to your guests over the Holidays.

Basic, Simple Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

 Instructions:

Pick through (remove stems) from cranberries, rinse and set aside. This is easiest if done in a colander where the berries can stay after rinsing.

Mix water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Keep the mixture at a gentle boil until the sugar dissolves –stirring often.

Carefully add in the cranberries and bring back up to a steady low boil. Continue to stir occasionally and cook until cranberries start popping / bursting.

Remove from heat, cover and cool. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Refrigerate until serving

Note: Most people prefer a mixture of whole and burst berries but obviously you can make yours all whole or you can even mash the berries with a potato masher as they are popping.


For a bit of zip ~
An easy way to add a bit of zip to the basic cranberry recipe is to simply replace the water with orange juice. The result is a very tasty cranberry sauce with a bit of a tangy zip to it.


Easy Additions to customize you cranberry sauce ~

All of these options can simply be added in after the berries have begun to pop

Few strips of orange peel or grate some zest over the cranberry sauce

1 cup blueberries, or raspberries or currants or raisins

½-1 cup roughly chopped nuts- whatever your family likes: pecans, walnuts etc.

Cinnamon can be mixed in or a cinnamon stick (or two) can be added along with the sugar/water mixture and then removed before the cranberry sauce cools.

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