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Make Ahead - Homemade Cranberry Sauce

November 13th, 2009

Starting to think about Thanksgiving and ready to cross something off of the list? Make some homemade cranberry sauce!

There is simply no reason to use canned cranberry sauce. Fresh cranberries abound this time of year and homemade cranberry sauce is so silly easy and my goodness, it tastes so much better than the canned variety.

Classic Cranberry Sauce
Yields about 2 cups

1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
pinch of salt

Add all of the ingredients to a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes until the berries start to pop.

Transfer sauce to jars and allow to cool to room temperature.  The sauce thickens up as it cools.  Refrigerate for up to two weeks.  Cranberries sauce can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

Add In’s: I am a purist about my cranberry sauce but you can certainly jazz it up if you like.  Orange, lemon or lime peel give the sauce a lovely citrus note.  Some grated nutmeg, cinnamon or a pinch of ground white pepper turn it into a spiced cranberry sauce.  Heck, you can even throw in some toasted pecans or walnuts and then you’ve got yourself a conserve.

Here is a recipe for Barr’s Fresh Cranberry Relish, not a make-ahead condiment, but certainly a fab idea for the Thaksgiving table.

Entry Filed under: Feeding a Crowd, Gluten-Free, In Season, Sweet Recipes