Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Readers, I’ve just discovered that it’s ridiculously easy to make cranberry sauce at home.  It’s 29^th November (this post isn’t going up straight away) and in less than half an hour from start to storing I’ve made my own sauce.

Granted, mine is a little tarter than shop bought versions.  But it tastes fresh.  The texture is lumpy from the masses of berries.  Not smooth and jelly like.  The colour is rich and glossy, almost jewel like and if nothing else, midway through the cook I can’t emphasise enough how much your kitchen will smell of all things Christmas.

Oh and the best bit. It’s freezeable.  At this time of year we haven’t swung into full on festive madness, so half an hour in the kitchen is feasible.  Also, who needs to know you prepped your homemade sauce weeks in advance?  Simple solution, make, store, freeze and defrost a couple of days before.  Store in the fridge and bring back up to room temperature an hour or so before serving.  

Easy.

Note though – if you are used to the over-sweetened jelly gloop available for 30p a jar, you might not like this…

Easy Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients - makes 1 medium & 1 small Tupperware tub

250g fresh cranberries

1 cup preserving sugar

Juice of 2 large oranges

Zest of 1 large orange

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Method

1. Add the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest and preserving sugar to the pan.  Bring to the boil over a high heat.  Add in the cinnamon and stir.

   

   Cranberries, orange and sugar in the pan

2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook out for around 8-10 minutes until the cranberries have burst and gone soft.  The sauce should be thickening by now.

   

   Bring up to the boil

3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the pan.  Then, transfer to freezer proof tubs with airtight lids.

   

   Cranberries burst - fully cooked and cooling

4. Freeze for up to 8 weeks.
5. Before use, defrost fully overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.

   

   And serve!