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    Home » Sauces, Dressings & Condiments » Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

    Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

    Published: Dec 1, 2017 · Modified: Jun 21, 2022 by Linda Baker · This post may contain affiliate links

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    There are many fine cranberry sauces out there, but I think the balanced sweet/tart flavors of my Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce make this one the best for your holiday meal or any day meal.

    Christmas colors and a gold rimmed glass bowl hightlight Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce.

    The making of Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

    My Progression into Cranberry Sauce

    Cranberry sauce was not my fav as a child. At the time, about all you could find in a grocery store was jellied cranberry sauce. And I didn't enjoy the texture of flavorless jellied cranberry sauce. Once they came out with whole berry canned cranberry sauce, I thought "this is better", but it was still one dimensional in flavor.

    Too much sugar.

    Too sweet.

    When stores finally began to carry fresh cranberries, I was in "let's make it better" heaven. Fresh cranberries take hardly any work or time to cook.

    "There is no reason to open a can again."

    My first experiments into making fresh cranberry sauce tended towards the savory side. Cranberries with port wine and thyme.

    How about ginger and star anise?

    Finely diced shallot?

    All of these preparations were good, but a little heavy for them to be a proper compliment to turkey, gravy, stuffing, and the other fixings.

    I started experimenting with orange flavors.

    There are a lot of recipes out there that use orange zest. Some use orange juice. A few use both.

    I tried almost all of the variations before I hit on what I consider to be a perfect cranberry sauce,  my recipe for Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce.

    shot from above a bowl of Easy Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

    Why is this the BEST Cranberry Sauce?

    Because my sister said so.

    Well, she did, and she's a great cook.

    But here's the real reason I think this gets high marks as the best cranberry sauce - a perfect balance of sweet, sour, acid, and texture - it compliments the turkey and rich gravy it's served beside. It cuts the fat and adds a fresh note to the meal. That's what I think a proper cranberry sauce should do.

    Balance the meal with its own unique flavor.

    What is a Cranberry?

    Cranberries are native to North America and raised in sandy bogs. With only 25 calories per half cup, they are considered a powerhouse food.

    Cranberries are a good source of vitamins C and K and are high in anti-toxins. Cranberry juice and cranberries themselves have many health benefits and are known to help with urinary tract health.

    There are about 40,000 acres of cranberry farms across the United States and Canada.

    Most of the crop goes into juice or dried cranberry. But at Thanksgiving and Christmas bags and bags of fresh cranberries can be found in supermarkets everywhere.

    Buy extra when available - they freeze well and can be used in cookies, scones, or just make some sauce and serve it with a roasted pork tenderloin or my Perfect Roasted Chicken.

    Or perhaps, if you are brave, you could grow your own.

    How is my Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce different?

    I'm glad you asked.

    It's different because most recipes that use zest cook it into the cranberries. I use zest in two ways.

    First, as long strips, I cook in the sauce. This I remove after allowing the sauce to cool slightly, then I add the freshly grated orange zest to the sauce.

    The uncooked zest gives a fresh pop of flavor.

    I also add a half stick of cinnamon to the cooking sauce, again this is removed after allowing the flavors to meld for about 15 minutes on the stovetop. Just a hint of cinnamon.

    A bit of fresh orange juice, ¼ cup to ¾ cup of water, gives another layer of flavor - without overpowering the cranberries.

    And finally, sugar. I use less sugar than most recipes which keeps the sweetness down and gives the sauce a great balance of flavor, sweetness, and tartness, which, as I stated before, is the perfect way to balance the heavy flavors usually associated with a holiday meal.

    But of course, if you like it sweeter, or tarter, adjust your sugar accordingly.

    an antique bowl filled with Easy Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

    I know there are a lot of recipes out there for cranberry sauce, but I hope you will give my Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce a try. Once you do, I think you will agree, it's the BEST!

    Holiday Cheers!

    This Quick Cranberry Orange Sauce is also perfect with my recipe for Perfect Simple Roast Chicken - no holiday needed.

    Christmas colors and a gold rimmed glass bowl hightlight Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce.

    Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

    LindySez
    A perfect ying and yang of sweet and tart makes this a perfect side dish. And yes, it's quick too.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Additional Time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 17 minutes mins
    Course Sauces, Dressings & Condiments
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 cups
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • ¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
    • ¾ cup water
    • ¾ cup granulated cane sugar
    • 2 about 1 inch wide 3 inch long strips orange zest
    • ½ cinnamon stick
    • Pinch salt
    • 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
    • 1 tablespoon Coarsely grated orange zest

    Instructions
     

    • Bring the orange juice, water, sugar, orange strips, and cinnamon stick to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the cranberries, lower heat to a simmer and cook until the cranberries most burst, some whole ones are fine - about 10 - 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for 15 - 20 minutes, then remove the strips of orange and cinnamon stick. Stir in the freshly grated orange zest. Transfer to a covered bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least a few hours, overnight is best.

    Notes

    This sauce is really best when left to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
    Keyword Christmas, cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Quick Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce

     
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    Comments

    1. Roslia Santamaria says

      May 22, 2019 at 6:11 am

      This looks super tasty!! I can’t wait to give it a try! It’s all delicious ingredients 🙂

      Reply
    2. Judy Goar says

      December 25, 2017 at 4:13 am

      I add some Grand Marnier to my homemade sauce after it has cooled - yummy!!!

      Reply
      • LindySez says

        December 25, 2017 at 9:42 am

        That would certainly add to the "orange" flavors in a delightful way! Cheers ~ Lindy

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lindy.

    Welcome to LindySez! I'm Lindy, a self-taught home chef with a passion for helping others feel confident in the kitchen. I believe cooking should be approachable, fun, and above all, delicious!

    My mission is to guide anyone—whether you grew up on fast food or rarely cooked at home—to create amazing meals with ease. Through simple recipes and practical tips, I’ll show you how to turn everyday ingredients into flavorful dishes.

    Cooking doesn’t have to be intimidating—let’s make it enjoyable together!

    More about me →

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