Skip the store-bought! Cranberry sauce is honestly so easy to make at home, and since you can make it in advance I highly recommend trying it out for your holiday dinner.
Since the cranberry selling season is pretty short in Belgium, I like to make a big batch and freeze the majority of it so I can continue to use it throughout the winter months.
Even though we tend to associate cranberry sauce with our turkey dinners, try it out with other meals as well! It pairs just as well with chicken, but any other meat would also do. Or what about with some turkey meatballs? I’m making myself hungry just thinking of all the possibilities!
Cranberry Sauce
Homemade cranberry sauce for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner
Ingredients
- 780 g Fresh cranberries washed
- 1 1/2 cups Orange juice freshly squeezed, with pulp
- 1/2 cup Water
- 3/4 cup Maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine cranberries, orange juice, and water In a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer.
- Let the berries simmer for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries have broken and the liquid is reduced to a jam-like consistency.
- While stirring continuously to prevent burning, add in the cinnamon and nutmeg, and begin to add the honey or maple syrup gradually, around 60mL (¼ cup) at a time. Taste in between to get the sauce to your desired sweetness. I prefer it with around 180mL (¾ cup) of sweetener, but adjust it up or down to your liking!
- Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to a week, or divide over smaller containers and freeze. This is also a perfect recipe to preserve through canning if you know how to do it!
