When people think of Thanksgiving they think of food of course. Turkey, mashed potatoes, and baked mac and cheese are main staples and sides of the holiday most people look forward to, but you don’t really hear about cranberry sauce.
Usually when I think of cranberry sauce I think of the thick, brightly colored, gelatinous cylinder that comes out the can that somehow stays intact the whole night. That’s not the most appetizing. This recipe is an easy way to win over cranberry sauce doubters like me and gives you something quick to bring to Thanksgiving without taking up the whole kitchen or taking a day to cook.
Recipe
- 12 ounces of Cranberries
- ¾ cup Water
- ¼ cup Orange Juice ( about 1 orange )
- ¾ cup ( 6 oz ) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Zest and juice orange (zest until you see the white part under the skin to avoid bitter parts)
- Rinse and measure out cranberries while setting ½ cup aside
- Add brown sugar, water, orange juice, and the larger potion of cranberries into a medium sized pot
- Leave on medium heat until a simmer then lower the heat to let cranberries pop and the mixer to thicken ( stir occasionally )
- Once mixture is thick add in the vanilla extract, orange zest, and rest of the cranberries while keeping it on low heat
- Cook until desired texture is reached and cool if wanted
Bonus tips
- Sauce will thicken as it cools
- Texture will change depending on how long you pop the cranberries ( less time, more crunch)
- Can be easily multiplied by using 12oz Ocean Spray cranberry bags
