Somewhere along the way, I became a homemade cranberry sauce convert. I don’t remember where or when, I just did. Maybe I got mad at the canned stuff because it’s such a pain to get out? Though it does make that cool shooooop sound if you do it right.
I have an aunt who makes hers by throwing a bag of cranberries, a whole seedless tangerine, and some sugar in a food processor, but I think I actually prefer this cooked, jammy variety better. Here it is.
As an aside, turkey sandwiches with this spread on them are fantastic. Or mixed into a bit of mayo. Yum.
- 1 12 oz bag cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 - 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 orange juiced, zest peeled off in a long, wide strip
- 6 cloves whole
- dash kosher salt
- dash cinnamon
- Stick the cloves in the zest (this is why you need one long strip -- you don't want to be digging cloves out of your cranberry sauce, just trust me). Put everything in a medium-sized saucepan and cook on low until the cranberries pop and the whole thing looks like cranberry jam. Put a lid on it, let it cool, then store until the big day.
- If it's too thick for you, add a little water (or more orange juice). Cranberries have a ton of pectin so wait until the sauce cools to make that call. Use more maple syrup (up to a cup) if you prefer it sweeter.
You can use white (or brown, or coconut) sugar if you don't want to use maple syrup. You can also use honey. I use maple syrup because I like it, but it's up to you and your budget and dietary concerns.