There's nothing like posting just one moreThanksgiving recipeat the very last minute! Hey, it could be worse—I could have posted it tomorrow at 2:17, just in time for your 2:30 Thanksgiving dinner. So see? You should be glad I'mjust so darn speedy.
Just kidding. I'm not speedy. But this homemade cranberry sauceis speedy, and I go back to ityear after year after year. The sweetness is provided by pure maple syruprather than sugar, though you can sure dump in some of the white stuff if you like things less tangy. Whatever you do, just don't use that maple-flavored pancake syrup in your cabinet!I use pure cranberry juice as the liquid, though you can certainly use orange, apple, or any of the other cranberry juice combinations. And you can also add in chopped pecans, though I don't know why anyone would do such a silly thing.
People do the strangest things with nuts this time of year.
The point is that it's easy, quick, and adaptable. Just the way I like 'em. And if you have extra, that's a good thing. There's a million deliciousways to use leftover cranberry sauce, so feel free tomake plenty. Get ahead of the Thanksgiving cooking scheduleby making it up to a week in advance.
What is the process to make cranberry sauce?
I promise, this is onecranberry recipethat'sbeyond easy. Just dump your cranberries in a saucepan with cranberry juice, maple syrup, andorange juice, and bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the liquid has thickened. That's it! Then, just transfer it to a jar (or your preferred storage container)and stick it in the fridge until it's time to serve.
Can you use frozen cranberries to make cranberry sauce?
Absolutely! Frozen cranberries work just fine for cranberry sauce. You don't even have to thaw them before you dump them into the pot.
Should cranberry sauce be served warm or cold?
You could, of course, serve it straight out of the pot, but I think it's best after it's chilled in the fridge. Chilling it helps it firm up some more in the fridge, plus, serving it this way means you can make it days ahead of a holiday. The cold, sweet sauce helps balance out all the warm, heavy Thanksgiving side dishes on the plate.
Why is my cranberry sauce runny?
It could be a few things. Did you use the full amount of maple syrup? The sugar in the syrup helps the mixture thicken. It could also be because you haven't cooked the mixture long enough. The cranberries need to cook long enough to burst so that they release plenty of pectin which is a thickener naturally found in cranberries. When in doubt, cook it a little longer and see if it starts thickening up.
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- Yields:
- 4 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 5 mins
- Cook Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 20 mins
Ingredients
- 12 oz.
cranberries
- 1 c.
cranberry juice (or orange, apple, or any other juice combination)
- 1 c.
pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)
- 3 Tbsp.
orange juice (you could also do orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice—anything citrusy)
Directions
- Step1Wash bag of cranberries under cool water, then dump them into a medium saucepan.
- Step2Add the cranberry juice (or whatever juice you choose), maple syrup, and orange juice(you could also do orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice—anything citrusy).Stir together and turn heat on high until it reaches a boil.
- Step3Once it comes to a rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium low and continue cooking over lower heat for about 10 minutes, or until the juice is thick. Turn off the heat.
- Step4Transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
The Cast of Characters: Orange Juice, Pure Maple Syrup (not pancake syrup!), Cranberries, and Cranberry (or other) Juice.
Wash 1 bag of cranberries under cool water, then dump into a medium saucepan, and if you could please use a pan that you didn’t get quite clean from the last dish you cooked, I’d sure appreciate it. I need validation this morning.
As opposed to tomorrow morning, of course, when I certainly won’t need validation. At all.
Pour in 1 cup of cranberry juice, or whatever kind of juice you use.
Pour in 1 cup of maple syrup. Not Mrs. Butterworth’s. Not Log Cabin. Only the real stuff here, baby.
Next, add in a splash (3 tablespoons or so) of orange juice. You could also do orange zest, lemon zest, lemon juice, or anything similarly citrusy.
Stir together…
Then turn the heat on high.
Bring it to a boil…
And when it really starts rolling, turn the heat to medium low.
Continue cooking over lower heat…
For about ten minutes, or until juice is thick. Turn off the heat, and if you’re concerned about aesthetics, remove the foam from the top of the mixture.
If you’re like me, don’t.
In any event, grab a jar…
And pour in the mixture. I use a wide-mouth funnel because I’m a cannin’ fool and have them lying all over the place. Just store the jar in the fridge until you’re ready to serve the turkey!
There’s that foam I was talking about. It doesn’t bother me at all. But I’m lazy that way.
If you panic and the last minute, you can always skim it off after it’s in the jar.
Mmm…not that the foam detracts from this lovely, red delight.
The juice is nice and thick. The flavor is all-cranberry, all the time…but with a hint of sweetness.
It’s what cranberry sauce was meant to be.
I wish you Happy Cooking, everyone!
Love,
Pioneer Woman
