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Perfect Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce for Thanksgiving

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This homemade cranberry orange sauce is bright, tangy, and just sweet enough. It has incredible depth of flavor from fresh orange zest and juice, making it the perfect complement to your Thanksgiving turkey.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz (340 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice (from about 2 large oranges)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare your oranges: Wash oranges thoroughly. Zest until you have 2 tablespoons of zest, avoiding the white pith. Juice oranges to get 1/2 cup (120 ml) of fresh juice. Set both aside.
  2. Make the orange syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and salt. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the cranberries: Once sugar is dissolved, add cranberries to the pan. Stir to coat. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
  4. Simmer and pop: Reduce heat to medium-low for a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until cranberries soften and burst, and sauce thickens.
  5. Check for doneness: Spoon a small amount onto a cold plate and let sit for 30 seconds. If it wrinkles when you push your finger through it, it’s done. If still runny, simmer 2-3 more minutes.
  6. Cool and serve: Remove from heat. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a serving bowl or jar. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Notes

The sauce will look thinner in the pan than when cooled. Don’t overcook or it will become too thick and gummy. Be careful when cranberries start to pop—they can splatter hot liquid. Use a long-handled spoon for stirring. Can be made up to 5 days in advance; flavors meld and deepen over time.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry sauce, orange cranberry sauce, homemade cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving side dish, cranberry orange sauce

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/perfect-homemade-cranberry-orange-sauce-for-thanksgiving/