This easy homemade cranberry sauce recipe is flavored with orange juice and spiced with cinnamon, with brown sugar and a pinch of salt for complex flavor.
1tablespoonorange zestplus more for garnish, optional
Instructions
Bring the orange juice (3/4 cup), brown sugar (1/2 cup packed), pinch of salt, and cinnamon (1/4 teaspoon) to a boil in a medium pot.
Add the cranberries (and 1 tablespoon orange zest, if using), turn heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have burst and the sauce has thickened. If some cranberries don't burst, you can use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon on the side of the pot to help them along.
Allow sauce to completely cool (at least 20 minutes) before serving. Garnish with more orange zest if desired.
Notes
You can easily accommodate for a 12-oz. bag of fresh cranberries by increasing the sugar to 3/4 cups and the orange juice to 1 cup, with a heaping 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Store in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 10-15 days, or in your freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost for 24-48 hours in the fridge before serving.
To use frozen cranberries: just add directly to the simmering orange juice mixture. No need to defrost before.
If you prefer, you can use a cinnamon stick in place of the ground cinnamon. Add it to the orange juice mixture, and remove it before serving.