Cranberry sauce recipe

[teachermom2834]

The only cranberry sauce I was ever exposed to growing up was the jellied sauce in the can. Which just never looked at all appetizing to me and I never even tried it. I’m fact I think I bought it once or twice when I first started hosting but then I forgot about it and no one has complained. But I really like cranberries. So I think I could potentially love a good homemade cranberry sauce. 
 

Does anyone have a favorite recipe? I like to try something new every year (and it has to be something minor or the traditionalists in my family will think I ruined their Thanksgiving). 

[Lori D.]

Ug -- that canned stuff... shudder.
BUT... I LOVE this old Bon Appetit recipe -- DS#1 makes it for us every year!

Nov. 1983 Bon Appetit:

Native American Cranberry Sauce
makes about 4 cups
1.5 cups pure maple syrup
0.5 cup water
1 tsp. ground ginger
4 cups fresh cranberries

Bring syrup, water, and ginger to boil in heavy 2.5 quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cranberries. Simmer until berries begin to pop, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into bowl; let cool Refrigerate -- can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.

[MrsMommy]

This is my favorite recipe. I have to at least double it every time I make it because everyone in my family loves it so much!

[gardenmom5]

I'm boring.  I use the one on the bag.

1C sugar

1'C water

12oz /2C cranberries.  boil for 10 minutes.

[Kassia]

3 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

I'm boring.  I use the one on the bag.

1C sugar

1'C water

12oz /2C cranberries.  boil for 10 minutes.

I do the same and use 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup white.

 

[SamanthaCarter]

This is not exactly sauce, but a Thanksgiving staple in my FOO. It’s delicious, and arguably healthier than sauce. I use a clementine or two for the orange. From the legendary More-with-Less Cookbook. 

[ScoutTN]

1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said:

I'm boring.  I use the one on the bag.

1C sugar

1'C water

12oz /2C cranberries.  boil for 10 minutes.

Me too! 

Sometimes I use some fresh OJ in place of some of the water. 

I like the kind that is a relish with oranges and apples in it, but don't have a food processor to make it.

Edited November 21, 2019 by ScoutTN

[Farrar]

I do mine with ginger, orange zest and a bit of fresh juice, and a dash of cinnamon.

Really, it's so easy to do... I have no idea why anyone does the canned stuff. Well, I shouldn't say that. I know some people think the jellied stuff is "traditional" and I'll leave you to that line of thought. And we just did our food pantry shift bagging Thanksgiving bags so in the sense that it's cheaper and may be the thing most available. But if you have a choice - it's unbelievably easy and very hard to screw up.

[happi duck]

This is our favorite Thanksgiving dish!

Zesty Cranberry Sauce

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup undiluted orange juice concentrate

2 ripe pears, finely chopped

1 medium apple, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Put everything in a saucepan and simmer, uncovered until the cranberry skins pop and the mixture is slightly thickened.  If you don't like it tart you can add sugar at the end (we prefer no sugar)

[prairiewindmomma]

We do a fresh sauce similar to Samantha’s with a food processor. We grind cranberries, oranges, and apples together with sugar and flavored jello powder mix. It’s much more like a fresh fruit relish than a sauce.

[Annie G]

3 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

I'm boring.  I use the one on the bag.

1C sugar

1'C water

12oz /2C cranberries.  boil for 10 minutes.

Same here, but I use fresh squeezed orange juice in place of water. When I remember to buy oranges. 

[teachermom2834]

Thanks, everyone. I'm looking forward to making it. Never even really occurred to me but it sounds delicious. 

[mmasc]

I did the same as you 2 years ago...wanted to try something new without ‘ruining’ anything traditional 😆 and decided on cranberry sauce. I used Pioneer Woman’s recipe and LOVED it! I ate is as jelly on toast the whole next week and it worked perfectly for that as well!

https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/homemade-cranberry-sauce/

[Vanchy]

4 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

I'm boring.  I use the one on the bag.

1C sugar

1'C water

12oz /2C cranberries.  boil for 10 minutes.

Instead of water I use orange juice. The sauce gets thick as it cools, but if you like it really thick add one envelope of gelatin. I usually make it day before.

[Familia]

I have streamlined my mother's recipe.   It is a delicious, more sweet than tart, gelatin dessert.  

Every year since time immemorial, I have asked eldest son to make this.  Funny that it took him a few years into adulthood to figure out that I wasn't going to stop asking him to make it - I guess I am attempting to guarantee a family traditional recipe by force=)  He will arrive on Wednesday, and he will be handed the recipe card so he can get busy!

This link to my Plan to Eat recipe should work for anyone:

  https://www.plantoeat.com/recipes/17710830

 

 

 

[Familia]

21 hours ago, Lori D. said:

Ug -- that canned stuff... shudder.
BUT... I LOVE this old Bon Appetit recipe -- DS#1 makes it for us every year!

 

Great minds think alike - first sons making cranberries is a tradition in another families, too...DS will crack up!

Your recipe sounds amazing!!

Edited November 22, 2019 by Familia
Grammar. Always grammar.

[happi duck]

We massively multiply our recipe and use our largest pot.  We all work together chopping apples and pears!

[Tanaqui]

I mostly use the recipe off the Ocean Spray bag, except I use orange or apple juice instead of water, and I usually grate some ginger into it.

[aaplank]

36 minutes ago, Familia said:

I have streamlined my mother's recipe.   It is a delicious, more sweet than tart, gelatin dessert.  

Every year since time immemorial, I have asked eldest son to make this.  Funny that it took him a few years into adulthood to figure out that I wasn't going to stop asking him to make it - I guess I am attempting to guarantee a family traditional recipe by force=)  He will arrive on Wednesday, and he will be handed the recipe card so he can get busy!

This link to my Plan to Eat recipe should work for anyone:

  https://www.plantoeat.com/recipes/17710830

 

 

 

I've been looking for this kind of recipe for awhile now. I've had it once, loved it, and couldn't find a similar one. Thanks!

[Lori D.]

10 hours ago, SamanthaCarter said:

This is not exactly sauce, but a Thanksgiving staple in my FOO. It’s delicious, and arguably healthier than sauce. I use a clementine or two for the orange. From the legendary More-with-Less Cookbook. 

I recognized the page design/layout from the picture, before I saw you mentioned the title! 😄 

[Lori D.]

ETA -- For my recipe above, we actually reduce the amount of liquid to cranberry ratio -- so, we either add another cup of cranberries to that amount of other ingredients, OR, we reduce the other ingredients (except for the cranberries) to about 3/4 of the stated amounts. But... We prefer our cranberries a little less liquidly, and a little more tart, and that recipe "tweak" hits the spot for us. 😄 

[Lady Florida.]

11 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

I'm boring.  I use the one on the bag.

1C sugar

1'C water

12oz /2C cranberries.  boil for 10 minutes.

Same here. There really isn't much you need to add though for it to taste good. Sometimes I add a little orange zest, but nothing else.

[Spy Car]

1 hour ago, Lori D. said:

ETA -- For my recipe above, we actually reduce the amount of liquid to cranberry ratio -- so, we either add another cup of cranberries to that amount of other ingredients, OR, we reduce the other ingredients (except for the cranberries) to about 3/4 of the stated amounts. But... We prefer our cranberries a little less liquidly, and a little more tart, and that recipe "tweak" hits the spot for us. 😄 

This are the keys for me too. Keep the amount of water down to a minimum, which means the cranberries don't need to overcook for the sauce to thicken.

I will pre-boil some sugar (under-doing it) and water to thicken with sultanas (golden raisons) before adding the cranberries then add additional sugar during the short cooking period until it hits the tart/sweet balance we prefer.

And I stop the cooking just as the majority of cranberries are popped. Which sounds very similar to what you do. Fresh tasting, not mushy, and sweet/tart.

I do like the golden raisins in the mix. This was an innovation innovation I came up with "way back when" and it has always been a hit with family. So much so, that cranberry sauce is the ONLY thing I need to make on Thanksgiving. A rare day off from cooking for me.

I did go through the orange juice instead of water phase, but found I prefer the taste with water, sugar, cranberries and golden raisins.   

Bill

[KungFuPanda]

I do the Boston market copycat. I can eat it by itself with a spoon. It’s one of those semi-homemade recipes. You get to feel special gor using fresh cranberries, but it’s quick and foolproof to make. 

https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/boston-market-cranberry-relish/1017403

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I do the boring recipe (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar), except that I use pure maple sugar.  It makes all the difference in the world.  The maple sugar adds a buttery, mild flavor that cuts through the sharpness of the cranberries.  It's delicious, and soooooo easy.  You just gotta get your hands on maple sugar.