Ingredients
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. water
12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
Pinch of kosher salt
Preparation
Step 1In a small saucepan over low heat, combine granulated sugar and water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add cranberries and cook, stirring occasionally, until they burst and mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes.Step 2Stir in orange zest and salt. Let cool completely.Step 3Make Ahead: Cranberry sauce can be made up to 1 week ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
Can I use fresh or frozen cranberries? Yes, either! Fresh cranberries can be found in the grocery store about a month before Thanksgiving and hang around through Christmas. Frozen cranberries are available year-round and tend to be a little cheaper. They’re picked at peak ripeness, so they’re just as good as fresh ones. Can I use orange juice? Go for it! You can sub freshly squeezed or bottled orange juice for some or all of the water when you add everything to the saucepan. Alternatively, if you hate oranges, feel free to skip the zest here, it’ll be just as good without. If you’d like, you can add a pinch of cinnamon or fresh cinnamon sticks instead. What if I actually love the canned stuff? We get it, there’s something nostalgic cranberry sauce from a can. Not only is it convenient, but it’s got a smoother texture some people can’t get enough of. Unfortunately, a lot of the canned versions have a ton of corn syrup in them, giving them a less-than-fresh flavor we don’t love. Lucky for you, it’s pretty easy to get that unadulterated texture you love from homemade—just follow the directions below, then sieve out the big pieces of cranberry and zest. Because of the naturally occurring pectin in cranberries, it should set up just as well as store-bought, no can required! Can I make the cranberry sauce ahead of time? Absolutely! This is one of the Thanksgiving dishes you can get off your plate up to a week in advance. (Bonus: The flavors will meld and deepen while it hangs out in the fridge.) Let it cool to room temperature in the saucepan, then transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate until the big feast. What can I do with any extra after the big day? Check out our list of the best things to do with leftover cranberry sauce, of course! Some standouts include making the salad dressing for our leftover Thanksgiving salad, turning it into a cranberry mayo slaw for our Thanksgiving leftover tacos, or wrapping it into a tortilla with other leftovers like in our Thanksgiving crunchwrap. Take inspiration from these, and get creative. Made this recipe for Thanksgiving this year? Let us know how it went in the comments below
