Cranberry Sauce
Just in time for Thanksgiving, this easy cranberry sauce recipe is sweet, tart, and oh so perfect. Make it ahead for easy entertaining.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, this easy cranberry sauce recipe is sweet, tart, and oh so perfect. Make it ahead for easy entertaining.
- Carbohydrate 160.165120146456 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.496000000631999 g
- Fiber 0.496000008022975 g
- Protein 1.736000002212 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0595200000758399 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (382g)
- Sodium 2.48000000316 mg
- Sugar 159.669120138433 g
- Trans Fat 0.248000000316 g
- Calories 632 calories
Step-by-step
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice.
- Stir in the cranberries, and cook until they start to pop (about 10 minutes).
- Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl.
- Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
When working with a single medium saucepan and limited burner space, preparing bright condiments requires managing volume carefully. Fresh cranberries release natural pectin as they heat, eliminating the need for commercial thickeners when paired with sufficient acid and sucrose.
Acid and Sugar Ratios
Citrus juice provides the necessary acidity to balance the tartness of raw berries while helping break down the cell walls during cooking. Using one cup of white sugar to one cup of orange juice creates a heavy syrup base that suspends the fruit evenly. Maintain medium heat to avoid scorching the high concentration of natural sugars on the bottom of the pan. Watch the berries closely until the skins split at approximately the ten-minute mark, releasing their juices into the liquid. Remove the pan from the source of heat immediately once the popping sound ceases to prevent the sauce from turning bitter. The mixture appears quite liquid when first transferred to a storage bowl, but pectin solidifies the final texture substantially as ambient temperature drops to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Substitute bottled lemon juice diluted with water if orange juice is unavailable, maintaining the exact one-to-one liquid volume.
- Stir continuously during the initial sugar dissolution phase to prevent crystal burn spots on stainless steel cookware.
- Store the finished condiment in a sealed glass container for up to seven days in the refrigerator.
