Vibrant Tangy-Sweet Cranberry Sauce (Print Version)

Bright, tangy-sweet cranberry sauce with fresh citrus and spices, ideal for enhancing savory holiday dishes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

→ Sweetener

02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar

→ Liquid

03 - 1/2 cup water
04 - 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

→ Aromatics (optional)

05 - 1 tsp grated orange zest
06 - 1 small cinnamon stick
07 - Pinch of salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Rinse cranberries thoroughly and discard any that are soft or discolored.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, orange juice, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon stick, and salt. Heat over medium until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers.
03 - Add cranberries to the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until berries burst and sauce thickens, about 10 to 12 minutes.
04 - Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick, and let sauce cool to room temperature. It will thicken further as it cools.
05 - Transfer sauce to serving dish or airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's tangy enough to cut through rich meats without that cloying sweetness that leaves you reaching for water.
  • The whole thing takes less time than it takes to set the table, yet tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • You can make it days ahead and it actually gets better as it sits in the fridge, thickening into that perfect jammy consistency.
02 -
  • The sauce thickens significantly as it cools, so if it looks a little thin when you pull it off the heat, that's exactly right—pulling it too late will leave you with something between jam and rubber.
  • If you forget to remove the cinnamon stick before serving, it's not a disaster, but fish it out before storing because it can impart too much flavor if left in overnight.
03 -
  • If you accidentally let it cook too long and it's looking too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of water or orange juice and it'll loosen right back up.
  • The cinnamon stick is removable, but if you lose track of it in the pot, don't panic—it's edible and adds flavor, though it's better fished out before serving.

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