Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe (Better Than Canned)

Fresh cranberry sauce is one of the easiest upgrades you can make to the Thanksgiving table. Five minutes of work and twenty minutes of simmering deliver a bright, tart, glossy sauce that puts the canned version to shame. This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is the only one you'll need.

Ingredients

12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries, 3/4 cup granulated sugar (adjust to taste), 1/2 cup water, the zest and juice of one orange, a pinch of salt, and optional cinnamon stick or a strip of orange peel. For a spiced variation, add a small piece of fresh ginger.

Method

Combine everything in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens — about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; it will continue to set as it cools. Chill at least an hour before serving. The pectin in the cranberries does the thickening — no gelatin needed.

Make It Ahead

Cranberry sauce is a perfect make-ahead Thanksgiving dish: it keeps up to a week in the fridge and the flavor improves. Double the recipe and use the leftovers on a turkey sandwich, spooned over yogurt, or stirred into oatmeal. Once you've made it from scratch, you won't go back to the can.