Cranberry Sauce

By Sam Sifton

Updated December 15, 2024

  • An enameled pot holds just-cooked cranberry sauce. To the right are halved, freshly squeezed oranges, and above is a bowl with sugar.
    Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes, plus chilling
Rating
5(4,262)
Comments
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Cranberry sauce should be sweet but not cloying, and tart without causing pucker and anguish. It should have a jelly-like quality, but should owe more to the appearance of jam. The key element to making cranberry sauce is to understand that cranberries are high in pectin, a carbohydrate that exists in many fruits and which is released by the berries when they are heated and the cells of the fruit break down. In the presence of sugar, the pectin molecules bond to one another, forming a kind of gel. The longer you cook a cranberry sauce, the more pectin is released and liquid is evaporated, and the stiffer the result will be. Science! Sometimes it's helpful. So is spice. Some like a clove or two added to their cranberry sauce. (I am not one of them.) Others, a whisper of ginger and a small handful of nuts, for texture. Of this, I approve.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 2 cups

  • 1 12-ounce bag fresh or thawed frozen cranberries

  • ¾ cup sugar

  • ¾ cup orange juice, preferably fresh squeezed

  • Zest of 1 orange, or to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

56 grams carbs; 221 calories; 4 grams fiber; 3 milligrams sodium; 1 gram protein; 48 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place cranberries in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and pour over these the sugar and orange juice. Stir to combine.

  2. Step 2

    Cook until sugar is entirely melted and cranberries begin to burst in the heat, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir again, add zest, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes longer, turn off heat, cover pan, and allow to cool.

  3. Step 3

    Put cranberry mixture in a serving bowl, cover, and place in refrigerator until cold, at least 2 hours, or until you need it.

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FAQS

  1. Leftover cranberry sauce can be used like a jam or jelly to spread on sandwiches. You can also make a salsa with it, combine it with whipped cream and yogurt for an easy treat or dessert topping, slather it on pancakes or waffles or even bake it into a hot pocket. 

Ratings

5 out of 5
4,262 user ratings
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Comments

India

I like the recipe on the bag of cranberries, but I start with only 1/2 the sugar, and taste it as I go. I usually end up adding another 1/3 cup of sugar - it really depends on your cranberries. I find that adding the orange juice after it's really thick tastes better - cooked orange juice can be bitter. I add the fresh zest at the same time. Delicious!

Marguerite

A tipple of Grand Marnier as it cools is a nice touch.

betteirene

This sauce is so good on sandwiches made with leftover turkey: Sturdy white or wheat bread, mayo, swiss, turkey, sauce, lettuce (or not). I keep a bag or two of cranberries in the basement freezer just to make this sauce for sandwiches during non-holiday times of the year. I like it on ham sandwiches, too.

P Maria

I make bar cookies with leftover cranberry sauce. 3/4 cup All-purpose flour 1/4 cup Whole wheat flour 1 cup Rolled oats 1/2 cup Dark brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled 1 1/2 to 2 cups cranberry sauce; whole berry works best Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x9 inch glass baking pan. Combine the flours, oats, baking soda, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the butter is evenly distributed and crumbs form. Scatter half the mixture into the baking pan and press down to form an even layer for the bottom crust, extending the edges about a 1/4 inch up the sides of the pan. Spoon the cranberry sauce evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the surface of the sauce and pat it down gently to adhere. Bake the bars for about 25-30 minutes, or until the bottom crust is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling and set. Cool completely in the pan, then cut into squares to serve. The bars keep, tightly covered and chilled, for three days. They can also be frozen. Can make gluten-free: sub 1 c GF flour blend and 1 c GF oats for the wheat flour and regular oats listed above.

Bob Steiner

I’ve chosen to avoid sugar because it is a favorite nutrient of cancer cells and in my advancing years I have needed to (successfully) ward off tumors. I simply simmer cranberries for about 15 minutes, allow it to cool and then add Agave to taste.

Jean

Substituted 2 clementines (tipped and tailed) including their rinds made into a paste in a mini food processor, plus 6 Tbsp water for the OJ I didn't have. Worked well.

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Credits

Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well by Sam Sifton

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