Cranberry sauce is one of those polarizing condiments that I happen to love. I don’t eat it any other time of the year, but I pile it on my plate every Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is nothing like that perfect bite of turkey, mashed potato and stuffing with the tang of cranberry highlighting all of the flavors.
I have always been a canned, completely puréed cranberry sauce girl, but I wanted to add a homemade and somewhat decorative touch to this years cranberry sauce. Below you find the recipe for my homemade cranberry sauce PLUS a bonus cranberry relish recipe for those who crave more texture. My grandmother made this for years and it is a favorite of my mother’s.
Classic Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- ½ to 1 cup sugar, or ⅓ to ¾ cup maple syrup or honey
- ¾ cup water
- 4 cups (one 12-ounce package) fresh or frozen cranberries
- Optional: pecans, orange zest, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
Directions:
- Wash cranberries under running water (if fresh).
- Stir your sweetener of choice in the water in a sauce pan over medium heat until dissolved.
- Add the cranberries and bring to a gentle boil.
- Lower the temperature and allow the cranberries to simmer for 13-15 minutes. You’ll know they are done when the berries begin to burst and the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Taste the suace and add additional sweetener if necessary.
- Once you are satisfied with the taste, take the pot off of the burner and allow the sauce to cool.
- This is when you would blend the sauce until it reaches your desired consistency. If you liked whole cranberries in your sauce, then you are done!
The sauce should be refrigerated once cooled.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week or up to 3 months frozen in the freezer.
Classic Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ to 1 cup sugar or ⅓ to ¾ cup maple syrup or honey
- ¾ cup water
- 4 cups one 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries
- Optional: pecans orange zest, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
Instructions
- Wash cranberries under running water (if fresh).
- Stir your sweetener of choice into the water in a sauce pan over medium heat until dissolved.
- Add the cranberries and bring to a gentle boil.
- Lower the temperature and allow the cranberries to simmer for 13-15 minutes. You’ll know they are done when the berries begin to burst and the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Taste the suace and add additional sweetener if necessary.
- Once you are satisfied with the taste, take the pot off of the burner and allow the sauce to cool.
- This is when you would blend the sauce until it reaches your desired consistency. If you liked whole cranberries in your sauce, then you are done!
- The sauce should be refrigerated once cooled.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week or up to 3 months frozen in the freezer.
Homemade Cranberry Relish
- 1 pound (about 4 cups) fresh cranberries
- 1 orange
- 1 apple
- 2 cups sugar
Directions:
- Core the apple and slice the fruit.
- Remove peel, seeds, and white membrane from the orange.
- Place the apple slices, orange slices and cranberries into the food processor and process until all pieces are in small, relatively uniform bits.
- Combine the fruit with the sugar and let sit in the refrigerator in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
- Serve cold
Homemade Cranberry Relish
Ingredients
- 1 pound about 4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 orange
- 1 apple
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions
- Core the apple and slice the fruit.
- Remove peel, seeds, and white membrane from the orange.
- Place the apple slices, orange slices and cranberries into the food processor and process until all pieces are in small, relatively uniform bits.
- Combine the fruit with the sugar and let sit in the refrigerator in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
- Serve cold
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
StoreHomemade Cranberry Relish
- 1 pound (about 4 cups) fresh cranberries
- 1 orange
- 1 apple
- 2 cups sugar
Directions:
- Core the apple and slice the fruit.
- Remove peel, seeds, and white membrane from the orange.
- Place the apple slices, orange slices and cranberries into the food processor and process until all pieces are in small, relatively uniform bits.
- Combine the fruit with the sugar and let sit in the refrigerator in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld.
- Serve cold
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week. in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Will you try a homemade cranberry sauce or relish or will you have the traditional can-shaped mold on your holiday table? Let us know where your family stands on Cranberry sauce in the comments!
