Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice and Spices
Make a small batch of cranberry sauce by combining fresh cranberries with orange juice, cinnamon, and a mix of warm backing spices. Alternatively, scale up the ingredients and make a large batch for canning. This quick and easy recipe yields a flavorful sauce perfect for a cozy holiday meal.
Equipment
- potholders, oven mitts, trivets for hot dishes
- large pot with a heavy bottom
- wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- ladle or stainless steel funnel
- mesh kitchen strainer optional
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 5 tbsp. sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. allspice
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 tbsp. lemon juice freshly juiced
- 6 tbsp. orange juice with pulp freshly juiced
- zest of one lemon
- zest of one orange
Instructions
Prepare the Fruit to be used in the cranberry orange juice sauce:
- Wash lemons and oranges. Let them dry and then juice and zest them
- Wash fresh or frozen cranberries. If using frozen cranberries let them defrost in the fridge. Do not defrost in the microwave as it impacts the texture and flavor of the sauce
Making the homemade cranberry sauce:
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot combine cranberries, sugar and water. Bring mixture to a gentle boil and lower the heat to medium. Stew cranberries for 5 minutes. If cranberries do not burst add additional 5 minutes.
- Add citrus zest and spices and cook cranberry sauce for another 5 minutes.
- Add orange and lemon juice and continue stewing on medium for another 5 minutes
Straining the cranberry sauce (optional step):
- Use a mesh kitchen strainer and a ladle or large metal spoon to press and rub the cooked berries against the mesh, pushing the pulp and juices through. This step removes cranberry seeds and helps mash the fruit skins. If you prefer a coarser texture or don't mind the seeds, you can skip this step.
Canning the homemade cranberry sauce (optional step):
- Make sure to have sterilized jars ready and the sauce gently bubbling as you proceed to can it.
- If you chose to strain the sauce, you need to return it to the pot and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. You can start ladling the sauce into sterilized jars as soon as the sauce starts boiling again.
Notes
The specified in this jam recipe quantity of ingredients should yield enough of jam to fill two 8 oz. (250 ml.) mason jars. The final yield may vary based on your preferred level of jam doneness.