Description
Cranberry sauce sings with holiday spirit, blending tart berries and sweet sugar. Fresh ingredients create a simple, delightful condiment that completes seasonal meals with classic flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz (454 g) cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- ⅓ cup (67 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) water
- Zest from 1 lemon or orange
Instructions
- Preparation: Rinse cranberries and set aside a portion for later, ensuring a vibrant and textured final product.
- Combine Base: In a medium saucepan, merge cranberries, sugar, water, and orange zest over medium heat, stirring gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
- Initial Cooking: Allow the mixture to warm gradually, watching for initial bubbling and berry softening, maintaining a low, consistent simmer while stirring periodically.
- Sauce Development: After 8-10 minutes, observe cranberries transforming into a luscious sauce with some berries naturally bursting, creating a rich, deep color and complex flavor profile.
- Flavor Refinement: Taste and adjust sweetness by carefully incorporating additional sugar, ensuring complete dissolution and balanced flavor.
- Texture Enhancement: Introduce reserved whole cranberries, folding them into the sauce to provide bursts of fresh intensity and varied mouthfeel.
- Final Reduction: Continue simmering for an additional 5-7 minutes until the sauce reaches a glossy, jam-like consistency that elegantly coats the back of a spoon.
- Cooling Process: Remove from heat and allow the sauce to cool naturally, understanding that it will continue to thicken and develop deeper flavors as it reaches room temperature.
Notes
- Boost Berry Burst: Reserve some whole cranberries to add at the end for a fresh, textural pop that elevates the sauce’s visual and taste experience.
- Watch Heat Carefully: Maintain a low simmer to prevent burning and ensure even cooking, stirring every few minutes for a smooth, glossy consistency.
- Sweetness Control: Taste and adjust sugar gradually, allowing complete dissolution for a balanced, not overly sweet sauce that complements main dishes.
- Cooling Matters: Let the sauce cool at room temperature, knowing it will naturally thicken to a perfect jam-like consistency for ideal serving texture.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 62
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 1 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg