Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Guest Contributor: Kelly Jones

Cranberry sauce from the can is unfortunately full of preservatives and sugar - adding to the holiday "bulge". The good news is the homemade version is easy and bursting with flavor. My dear friend Kelly has been gracious enough to share her homemade cranberry sauce recipe with us for the holidays.

Kelly & I at La Salle. 

Her recipe is full of citrus sweet and tart flavors, great for eating with turkey or mashed potatoes - but be cautious if tart not your cup of tea. You should also be warned - the recipe will leave your kitchen smelling like a Christmas candle!! Try and wait to make this until right before the party to have your house smelling like holiday cheer. Oh yeah!

Kelly writes: I first made this cranberry sauce a few years ago around Thanksgiving as an alternative to the jellied super sweet canned sauce and everyone fell in love with it. It is tangy and tart with pieces of cranberry and just the right amount of sweetness. It keeps very well in the fridge, which makes it perfect for making a few days ahead. Do not plan on having leftovers for too long because it is the perfect addition to toast, oatmeal, on top of chicken, or just by the spoonful.   

   

Thank you Kelly!

Price: A bag of whole cranberries is usually $2.99. I snagged a sale for $2.  

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

12oz bag of fresh cranberry

1 orange, zest and juice of

1 cup orange juice

1 lemon, zest and juice of

3 Tbsp Honey (or 1 Cup Sugar)

Water (about ½ cup)

1 tsp Ginger, fresh

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Rinse off cranberries in a colander.

2. Remove any stems and damaged/squished berries (they will make your sauce more tart).

3. Add the rinsed berries to the a medium saucepan.

4. Add honey/sugar, orange juice, fresh squeezed juice and zest of the orange and lemon, to pot.

5. Add water, just enough to cover the berries. Note - if you are not a big fan of tartness, omit the ginger, lemon and orange zest.

6. Gently bring to a boil, cover with a lid.

7. Once the berries begin to boil and burst, add ginger and salt (also can add your favorite mulling spice like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, allspice, or cardamom.) 

8. Lower the heats to a simmer, stir, and cook until the sauce has thickened (about 20-30 minutes)

9. Remove sauce from heat, let cool, then refrigerate. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Note - Because cranberries can be naturally tart, you may need to add a bit more sugar to taste.

Adding the juice. 

Once all the berries pop and soften you will get a thick sauce, Make sure to stir often.