Cranberry sauce was not a staple on my childhood holiday table. It wasn’t until adulthood that I realized we had really been missing out on a truly amazing condiment! This fresh version isn’t like anything you will find in a can at the grocery store. Fresh berries, orange juice, and holiday spices come together in the oven for this easy, hands off, pretty much foolproof method of achieving sweet, tart cranberry perfection.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh Cranberries – Look for fresh cranberries in the produce department of your grocery store near the holidays. Whole cranberries can be frozen, so you can buy them early, pop them in the freezer, and make this recipe whenever you want. You may be able to find already frozen cranberries in the freezer section as well.
- Orange Juice – You can use bottled or fresh squeezed orange juice here.
Recipe Notes
- Finished cranberry sauce can be frozen and stored in the freezer ahead of time if you want to get a head start on the holidays.
- This sauce is naturally thickened by the pectin in the fruit. If, after chilling, you’d prefer a thinner texture, simply thin it out to your desired consistency with a little orange juice.
Serving and Usage
This sauce is delicious on your Thanksgiving table and with pretty much everything you find there. But there are so many other ways to put it to use! It’s fantastic on sandwiches, swirled into yogurt or oatmeal, combined with cream cheese on a bagel, served over ice cream or even on top of pancakes or waffles. Anywhere you could think to use any other fruit jam, this would likely taste amazing!
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Fresh Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 12- ounce bag cranberries
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 stick cinnamon optional
- 1 very small pinch ground cloves optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash cranberries and place in 9x13 baking dish. Add water, cloves, cinnamon stick, and orange juice and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 1 hour. Remove from oven, remove cinnamon stick, and allow to cool. If you like it with a little texture, mash berries; if you prefer it smooth, process in blender or food processor until desired consistency is reached. Serve with turkey, Swedish meatballs, on pulled turkey, pork, or chicken sandwiches, or on top of ice cream or cobbler.
Notes
- This can be made and refrigerated up to a week in advance or frozen for up to three months.
- Try it on sandwiches, swirled into yogurt or oatmeal, combined with cream cheese on a bagel, served over ice cream or even on top of pancakes or waffles. Anywhere you could think to use any other fruit jam, this would likely taste amazing!
Questions & Reviews
I make this every year! We love it! Can this be canned/bottled for long term storage? Thank you!
This recipe is not designed for canning, but you could certainly freeze it!
Will this turn out the same if you sub honey in for the sugar?