Homemade Cranberry Sauce
So are you guys team #homemadecranberrysauce or team #cranberrysaucefromacan?
If we’re being honest, up until last year I was team #nocranberrysauce… please don’t judge me.
The idea of cranberry sauce has always been REAL weird to me. All I ever saw was this bright, gelatinous mold that came from a can and jiggled on the plate. Was it jello? Should we actually be eating it with dessert instead?!
I was baffled at how obsessed people were with it.
It was also never really a staple on our Thanksgiving table, so I basically just ignored its existence for 30+ years. Whoops.
My mother-in-law makes the most delicious homemade cranberry sauce, and I think that’s what finally turned me. So here I am, late to the party per usual.
You see, my MIL is the holiday hostess with the mostest; the holiday queen, if you will. She has been hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas since the beginning of time, and practically has it down to a science. From the prep weeks in advance, to the day-of execution and clean up — it’s like a perfectly choreographed dance.
The kicker is that she makes these feasts that are… worthy of magazine spreads. The picture-perfect bird, dozens of side dishes and the most tasty, decadent pies and cookies for dessert. Recipes that she has been making for years, which have become family favorites. Truly, her holidays are what dreams are made of.
My MIL is #goals.
So I snagged this cranberry sauce recipe from her last year, and included it as part our Christmas menu. I think my family is still confused about WTF cranberry sauce really is, but I’m hoping they’ll come to their senses soon.
This recipe is truly SO easy to throw together, and can be made well in advance of the holiday. You basically throw all the ingredients into a pot, and simmer until the berries burst. The only change I made from the original (in true Talia form) is to cut the sugar down to 1/3 cup.
The end result is cranberry sauce that is tart from the cranberries, sweet from the sugar and citrus-y from the orange juice + zest!
- 3 cups fresh cranberries
- ⅓ cup organic cane sugar
- zest and juice of one orange
- 1 cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Rinse and sort cranberries, discarding any soft berries or stems.
- Add all ingredients to a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and partially cover. You'll hear (and see) the berries start to pop.
- Stirring occasionally, simmer until the sauce has thickened and the cranberries have burst, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and give another good stir, mashing the remaining few whole berries.
- Transfer to a bowl, and let cool. Remove cinnamon sticks, and refrigerate until serving.
Happy Thanksgiving week, friends!
