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Best Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce with Ginger

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This cozy homemade cranberry orange sauce with fresh ginger is bright, warming, and surprisingly versatile. It’s the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any cold night when you need something comforting and delicious.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces (340 grams) fresh cranberries
  • ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest (from about 2 oranges)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (about a 2-inch piece), peeled and finely grated
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) water
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 small cinnamon stick (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare your ingredients: Rinse the fresh cranberries in a colander and pick out any soft or shriveled ones. Zest your oranges before juicing them. Peel the ginger with the edge of a spoon and grate it finely using a microplane.
  2. Combine the base: In a medium saucepan, add the granulated sugar, fresh orange juice, water, and a pinch of salt. Stir gently to begin dissolving the sugar.
  3. Add the aromatics: Stir in the fresh orange zest and grated ginger. If using the optional cinnamon stick, add it now.
  4. Bring to a simmer: Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the mixture comes to a gentle simmer (small bubbles around the edges).
  5. Add the cranberries: Carefully add the fresh cranberries to the simmering liquid. Give everything a good stir to coat the berries.
  6. Cook until the berries pop: Increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most cranberries have burst and the sauce is thickening.
  7. Check for doneness: Dip a cold spoon into the sauce—it should coat the back of the spoon and not run off immediately. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
  8. Remove from heat and cool: Take the pan off the heat. If you used a cinnamon stick, remove it now. Let the sauce sit in the pan for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
  9. Adjust sweetness if needed: Taste the warm sauce carefully. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, stir in an additional tablespoon of sugar until dissolved. If too sweet, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
  10. Transfer to a serving dish or jar: Pour the warm sauce into a clean glass jar or serving bowl. Let it cool completely to room temperature before covering and refrigerating.

Notes

Don’t walk away from the pot—cranberry sauce can go from perfect to burnt in about 30 seconds. Use a heavy-bottomed pan for even heat distribution. Grate ginger on a microplane to avoid fibrous chunks. Zest before juicing the orange. Let the sauce cool completely before serving for the best jammy consistency. Double the recipe if you want leftovers—it keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry sauce, orange sauce, ginger, homemade, Thanksgiving, Christmas, holiday, side dish, easy, quick

Find it online: https://ovenmila.com/best-homemade-cranberry-orange-sauce-with-ginger/