Fresh Cranberry Sauce

Written by
Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
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Danilo Alfaro
Updated 08/28/20
cranberry sauce

The Spruce / Leah Maroney
  • Total: 20 mins
  • Prep: 5 mins
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Servings: 8 servings

As you're simmering the cranberries for this fresh cranberry sauce, you'll start to hear a popping sound. This is good—it means the berries are bursting and releasing their natural fiber, called pectin, which will thicken the cranberry sauce as you simmer it.

Some like a slightly tart cranberry sauce, so in this recipe, you add half the sugar at the start and sweeten to taste when it's finished cooking. But feel free to use more sugar if you like yours sweeter. Just add half at the beginning and the rest, a little at a time, at the end.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 cups (3/4 pound) fresh cranberries (rinsed)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. The first step is to thoroughly rinse the cranberries and pull out any that are crinkled or black or otherwise not up to par.

    cranberry sauce
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  3. Next, combine the orange juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.​

    cranberry sauce
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  4. Stir in the cranberries and return to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and stir occasionally (and gently) while simmering for about 15 minutes, or until all the berries have popped.​

    cranberry sauce
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  5. Remove from heat and use the remaining sugar to sweeten the cranberry sauce to your liking.​

    cranberry sauce
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  6. If you're serving the cranberry sauce warm, let it stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. Or cool and refrigerate for about 30 minutes if you prefer it a bit cooler.

    cranberry sauce
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney