It just takes 10 minutes to make this Cranberry Orange Sauce – once you’ve made it yourself, you’ll never buy a jar again! Enjoy with your Roast Turkey, use in sandwiches and paninis or try it with cheese – it’s delicious!
You might be able to buy perfectly decent cranberry sauce in the shops, but it just doesn’t come close to homemade.
It’s so easy to make there is no excuse for not making it yourself – you only need 3 ingredients and it takes no more than 10 minutes of your time.
cranberry and orange – the perfect duo
Cranberries and oranges are like soulmates. The sweet orange counterbalances tart, sour cranberries beautifully. They just work so well together. If you’ve never tried this pairing before, my cranberry, orange and walnut bread would convince you.
The zest and juice of an orange peps up cranberry sauce like you wouldn’t believe. I hope you give it a try this Christmas. I’m telling you, once you do, you won’t look back!
ingredients
- Fresh or Frozen Cranberries. If you’re using frozen, you don’t even need to defrost them – use them straight from the freezer.
- White sugar – either granulated or caster sugar.
- One Large Orange – you’ll need the zest and the juice.
how to make cranberry orange sauce
1. Place half the cranberries, the orange zest and juice, sugar and a splash of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries break down and the sugar has dissolved.
2.Add the remaining cranberries and cook for a further 4-5 minutes until they start to burst.
I like whole berries in the sauce, but if you would like it smoother give the sauce a good beat with a wooden spoon, squishing the berries against the side of the pan.
3.Remove the pan from the heat and season with a tiny bit of salt. Transfer the cranberry sauce to a bowl or container. Once the sauce is completely cold, transfer to the fridge or freezer.
vARIATIONS
For a Spiced Cranberry Sauce, add one small cinnamon stick and 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice.
To ramp up the festive flavour, you could add a splash of alcohol instead of the water – port, red wine or an orange liquour would work very well.
serving suggestions
Cranberry sauce is of course traditionally served alongside roast turkey, but I also love it in sandwiches.
It also goes particularly well with cheese – I can never say no to the classic Brie and Cranberry pairing.
If you have any leftover turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, then you really must make these delicious Turkey and Cranberry Filo Tarts. My family go crazy for them!
commonly asked Questions
How long does cranberry sauce keep?
Cranberry sauce can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
can you freeze cranberry sauce?
Yes, cranberry sauce freezes well without any issues. Transfer the cold sauce to airtight freezer containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the fridge the day before you intend to eat it.
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Cranberry Orange Sauce
The essential Christmas dinner accompaniment is given a zesty orange twist in this Cranberry and Orange Sauce recipe. Fruity and delicious!
Ingredients
- 175g caster sugar
- finely grated zest and juice of one large orange
- 300g fresh cranberries
- 60ml water (or port for a richer flavour)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and set over a low to medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer, stirring every now and then with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook for around 10 minutes until the sugar has completely dissolved and the berries have begun to burst.
- At this stage, give the sauce a good stir to crush the berries into the liquid. I like to leave some of them whole so I don't go overboard with the stirring. Taste the sauce to see if you want to add more sugar (being careful not to burn your mouth) Transfer the sauce to a bowl to cool completely.
- Do bear in mind the sauce will thicken up a lot on cooling so if you think it's too runny don't worry. If you're making the sauce in advance, you will need to give it a good stir to loosen it up before serving.
Notes
Make Ahead - Cranberry sauce can be made up to 5 days in advance. Store the cold sauce in a lidded container in the fridge.
Freeze - Cranberry sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before using.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 52Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 8mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 0g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.