When you live abroad, perspective is found equally in the new things you discover and the familiar things you miss. On our first thanksgiving in Australia, we had a heck of a time finding cranberries for the ubiquitous holiday sauce. Persistence paid off that year, and we cheerfully brought home the bright red berries to make this simple staple family heirloom of a recipe. It’s so good, we almost didn’t want to let the recipe out…
The beauty of the sauce is in the simplicity and brightness of taste. The addition of whole holiday spices and orange zest set this version apart. Whether you’re new to cranberry sauce, or used to the tinned variety, prepare to hear your tastebuds sing.
Serve alongside a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner of smashed potatoes, apple-walnut dressing, roasted vegetables, and plenty of miso gravy.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
This is the recipe we use time and time again when we are looking for a quick and easy, deliciously tart, cranberry sauce to serve along side our special holiday meal.
- 10 oz 284g bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
- zest from 1 orange
- juice from 1/2 orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup natural sweetener like maple syrup (coconut sugar or honey)
- Combine the cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon stick, cloves and sweetener in a small saucepan, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- The sauce is ready when the cranberries have burst and start to thicken together.
- Taste for sweetness and adjust as needed.
- Remove the cinnamon stick to serve.
