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Around the holidays, we immerse ourselves in the warm and comforting foods we only tend to have this time of year. Turkey, stuffing, yams, green bean casserole… cranberry sauce. I love cranberry sauce, and welcome it onto my plate- almost as a necessity. Its bright, tartness contrasts all of the other warm and rich foods on the plate, and makes for a delicious palette cleanser. It’s also nostalgic. When we were kids, we would all watch as grandma slipped a butter knife around the inside of a can, and out would plop this beautifully colored, jello-like substance. She would slice it evenly, and we would line up eagerly to make sure we got some- just in case there wasn’t a second can on the way. This is how I remember cranberry sauce, and forming a love for it- and while canned cranberry sauce is still welcome at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, I have grown to adore the tart freshness of homemade.

But why go through all that effort…?

If you don’t want to spend any extra time cooking during the holidays, I get it. You’re already elbows deep in turkey or ham, and about a million side dishes (that require more than opening a can). Cranberry sauce is one of the only things at these dinners that only needs a can opener and about 20 seconds of your time. However, if you have an extra 10-20 minutes to spare… I highly recommend making cranberry sauce from scratch. It’s really simple, will make your house smell amazing, and you can make it ahead of the big day (which I actually recommend, because you need this dish to be cold, and making it ahead ensures it has time to fully chill). So, if you are looking to level up your side dishes this year, but in a way that feels manageable, let’s get to making some cranberry sauce!

So, what do I need?

This recipe is really simple and only uses a few things. If you want to add extras- go right ahead! I’ve had homemade cranberry sauce with added apples, celery, whole cloves, etc., but my favorite is just simple, sweet cranberries with a hint of orange citrus.

Ingredients:

• Fresh cranberries- these are very easy to find and very affordable once November rolls around.
• Navel Orange- You will need the juice and peel. This is my recommendation- however, if you have those little mandarin oranges lying around and don’t want to buy navel oranges as well, just use what you have! I have small children, so mandarins have been a staple in my house for years. I have absolutely used a few of these in the past, and it came out just fine. For this, an orange is an orange, and you will be fine. If you have bottled orange juice, you can use that instead of juicing the orange if you’d like! I did that the last time I made this and just ate the orange with my kiddos.
• White sugar- I use Morena pure cane sugar, but regular granulated white sugar is perfectly okay.
• Cinnamon
• Cloves- You can omit this, but I feel like it adds an extra layer of warmth to something really bright and tart.
• Ground Ginger- Again, you can omit this, but I feel like it adds an extra, extra layer of warmth.

How easy is this, really?

Really easy. It won’t take very long to prep, and then it will create itself on the stove while you do other things.

Instructions:

1. Sort and wash– You’re going to start by dumping all of your cranberries into a colander and sorting through them. Go ahead and pull out any that are soft, brown, or burst open. This part will take the longest (aside from them actively cooking), but after that, it should be smooth sailing. Once you’re done sorting, you’re going to wash them thoroughly. There is no need to dry them; just shake the colander enough to get the excess water out.
2. Prep the orange– Wash your orange really well. The peel will be simmering in the sauce and will release its oils- and everything else that’s on it- so scrub it nice and clean, friend! Next, you will slice large strips of peel off and juice your orange if you’re not using bottled juice. I find that using a serrated steak knife tends to work best for this. Alternatively, you could zest the orange; this would just add more of an orange flavor and would not be removable. Tip: Roll your orange on the counter a few times to get the juices going, and slice the peels off before juicing.
3. Season– Now that all of your cranberries are picked through and you’re left with clean, beautiful cranberries, and your orange juice and peel is set and ready to go, you’re going to add them to a pot along with the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Stir together, and you’ll be left with the most beautifully coated berries.
4. Simmer– Cook your cranberries on the stove at medium heat until they’re bubbling, then reduce the heat to low and simmer (stirring occasionally to avoid burning) until your berries have softened, started to burst, and have begun forming a gel. When you stop cooking them is up to you and how many whole berries you like/ how thick you want it. Keep in mind, friend, that this will thicken up a good bit as it cools- like jam does. If you don’t want whole berries, you can use a potato smasher and pop them all. I personally like having whole berries mixed in, so I skip this part.
5. Cool– You made cranberry sauce! Now all you have to do is let it fully chill in the refrigerator before serving! This helps the consistency by letting it fully thicken, and allows the flavors to really show.

And just like that, we’re done.

See, friend, I told you it was easy! After just a bit of prep work and time on the stove, you have a wonderfully homemade holiday side dish that will impress everyone at your gathering. Again, I love a good canned cranberry sauce, and won’t bat an eye if that is what’s served… however, once you start making homemade and grow to appreciate the sweet, tartness of it as a palate cleanser, you will always want to have it at these dinners.

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