How to Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Originally Posted on October 8, 2010
With the Canadian Thanksgiving looming this weekend, I have been busy trying to get my house in order for company and figuring out how I’m going to get everything accomplished that I want to. Like any aspiring hostess, I want to not just satisfy my guests but dazzle them a little with my culinary skills and leave them begging for more. What better way than to present my guests with this homemade cranberry sauce.
In addition to everything else I have to do this weekend, I decided to make homemade cranberry sauce. Even though I don’t personally like it, my husband and father-in-law are fans, and you know what they say: the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. This sauce was incredibly easy and takes next to no time at all prepare.
Basic Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 8oz fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Directions
- Rinse your berries and pick them over carefully, looking for any wrinkled or possibly moldy berries and set aside.
- Add water and sugar to a medium pot and bring to a boil
- Add cranberries, reduce to a low heat and simmer approximately 10 minutes or until the cranberries start to pop, stir frequently.
- Once cranberries have mostly popped, take a potato masher and mash the mixture. How much you do this depends on whether you like your sauce to be chunky or smooth. For a smoother texture, I’d suggest using a handheld mixer.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool before pouring into a serving dish and placing in fridge. The sauce will thicken and set as it cools.
We prefer ours plain but for an added zing, you can add some orange zest while cooking and some variations include adding pecans or walnuts. I have to say it smells absolutely fantastic and is definitely a kid’s favourite.
P.S. My reluctance to eat cranberry sauce could stem from my own youthful memories. My mother was not a fan of cranberry sauce either and would almost grudgingly serve it by dumping it into a dish and place it on the dinner table where it sat with canned rings and all adorning it. She didn’t so much as mash it in a ball. Nothing looks so unappetizing as seeing a jellied mound of red stuff with can rings.
I have to say even though I wouldn’t put this on my turkey, I think it would be great on toast!
What to do with cranberry sauce leftovers- here are some great ideas in this article 15+ Ways to Use Leftover Cranberry Sauce
