Fresh cranberry sauce
Bright, jammy cranberry sauce with a little orange, made in fifteen minutes and happiest when it’s made days ahead.
- 45 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 8
- About $0.54 a serving
- 100 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. Whatever’s left keeps for tomorrow.
Ingredients
For 8 servings.
- 12 oz fresh cranberries, 1 bag
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
From your pantry
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
Each serving has about 100 calories, 0 g protein, 26 g carbs and 0 g fat, and costs about $0.54 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the cranberries in a colander and pick out any soft or shriveled ones.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
the orange, then squeeze its juice into a medium .
Zest. Zest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, rubbed off on the smallest holes of a grater. It holds the fruit’s fragrant oils, so it adds bright flavor without the sourness of juice.
How you’ll know: You see bright flecks and smell citrus right away; stop when you reach the white layer, which is bitter.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Add the sugar, water and salt and over medium-high heat, until the sugar dissolves.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Medium-high heat
Add the cranberries, turn the heat to medium, and 8 to 10 minutes, now and then, until most have popped and the sauce looks thick.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Medium heatTimer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: You’ll hear them pop. That’s exactly what you want.Take the pan off the heat and in the orange zest and cinnamon.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Let it cool at least 30 minutes, until it , then serve at or cold.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Room temperature. It means letting something sit out until it’s no longer fridge-cold, about 30 to 60 minutes for butter or eggs. It helps things blend smoothly, but never leave raw meat out over 2 hours.
How you’ll know: It feels cool, not cold, and butter dents easily when you press it.
Timer: 30 min
Dolly’s tip: It keeps in the fridge for a week, so it’s the easiest thing to make early.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
When you host a dinner, Dollop builds the menu around your guests’ allergies, works out a cooking timeline back from when everyone sits down, and puts it all on one grocery list.
