Cranberry orange sauce

Cranberry orange relish is a Thanksgiving classic.

Cranberry orange sauce made with fresh squeezed orange juice and zest of orange bursts with fresh flavors.

The Gourmand Mom

November 16, 2010

As a child, I was jellied cranberry sauce girl, through and through. I can not tell a lie; I still love the stuff. But, over the years, I’ve also learned to love fresh, whole berry cranberry sauce. It’s delicious paired with a bite of turkey or spread on leftover turkey sandwiches. I’ve even used it to make cranberry linzer-style cookies and baked it with brie wrapped in puff pastry. Spread some on top of a cheesecake for a seasonal touch!

Fresh cranberry sauce can be as simple as simmering cranberries in water with a bit of sugar or you can get creative incorporating other flavors. Most commonly, other fruit flavors are added, though I once made a cranberry sauce which featured caramelized onions. And I’ve got to admit that it was pretty spectacular. But, a cranberry-onion sauce might not be up everyone’s alley, so today we’re sticking with a basic Cranberry Orange Sauce. We’re replacing part of the water with fresh squeezed orange juice, then mixing in the zest of the orange skin. Simple and delicious.

Cranberry orange sauce

  • 1 12-ounce bag Fresh Cranberries
  • 3/4 cup Sugar
  • Juice from 2 Oranges (about 1/2 cup)*
  • 1/2 cup Water*
  • Zest from 1 Orange

*Use 1 cup of liquid total.

Rinse cranberries and carefully examine for any stems or overly mushy berries. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Lower heat and continue simmering for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all cranberries have popped and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and cool completely before serving.

Amy Deline blogs at The Gourmand Mom.

To see the original blog post, click here.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best food bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs and their recipes. All readers are free to make ingredient substitutions to satisfy their dietary preferences, including not using wine (or substituting cooking wine) when a recipe calls for it. To contact us about a blogger, click here.