Cranberry Orange Sauce

Classic cranberry sauce is a must-have on Thanksgiving tables, but this year, we hope you'll try this orange cranberry sauce for a special and unique twist.

If you've eaten fresh cranberry sauce (like I did as a child), you know the magic of some fresh cranberries boiled with a little fresh-squeezed orange juice. When the cranberries start to pop and release their pectin, the sauce comes together into a consistency that makes it a versatile spread on leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches, a topping for pumpkin pie, a stir-in for overnight oats, an accompaniment to a cheese and charcuterie board, and so much more.

Learn how to make cranberry orange sauce, and make a spot for it on your Thanksgiving table.

Why Do We Eat Cranberry Sauce at Thanksgiving?

An indigenous fruit to North America, cranberries have long been associated with Thanksgiving. Likely, the 1621 harvest celebration included cranberries, but not in the form we make them today. The Wampanoag Tribe used cranberries as a dye, in medicine, and for different food preparations like pemmican, a dish of dried meat and crushed cranberries.

According to The Library of Congress, the first written cranberry recipe can be found in Amelia Simmons' 1796 cookbook American Cookery. This was the first cookbook published in the United States, and Simmons gives instructions on using "cramberries" for pies.

Eighty years later, The Home Cook Book provided two cranberry sauce recipes, utilizing Simmons' techniques. Famously, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered cranberries to be served to soldiers during the Civil War as part of their Thanksgiving dinner, just one year after President Lincoln declared that the last Thursday in November would be observed as a national holiday.

We also find cranberry sauce recipes in community cookbooks throughout the early 1900s, including a spiced cranberry sauce and versions including apples. November editions of newspapers throughout the 1900s gave space for details about commercial cultivation of cranberries, uses and recipes for cranberries, and the story of Thanksgiving.

In the 1930s the cranberry game changed when Ocean Spray introduced the much more efficient wet harvest, the popular bog image we associate with it today. Marcus Urann left a law career for a simpler life farming cranberries in Massachusetts. He obsessively sought a way to extend the shelf life of his berries so they could be enjoyed year-round. His experiments led to cranberry juice cocktail in 1933 and the iconic canned cranberry sauce in 1939.

Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Sauce

This homemade cranberry sauce calls for just a handful of ingredients:

• Cranberries: If you've tried to source this fruit outside its seasonal window, you know it's difficult to obtain. The cranberry grows in sandy bogs and marshes, predominantly in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest. It's a perennial that's harvested every fall. The season is short so you may need to source them frozen or even dried if you aren't making this dish in the seasonal window.
• Orange juice: A basic recipe for homemade cranberry sauce calls for water, but I like to substitute fresh-squeezed orange juice, which gives the sauce a zest that complements the cranberry's tartness. You could use bottled orange juice, but that contains sugar, which will create less balance in the recipe.
• Orange zest: The bonus of using fresh oranges is you also get fresh zest. Using a Microplane, or other zesting tool you have handy, zest the orange, being careful to not get down to the bitter white pith. Once you've accumulated a tablespoon of zest, you're ready to juice. I like an old-fashioned citrus reamer because you get a ton of juice, and you can sneak in a little of the pulp while keeping seeds at bay.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar helps set up the cranberry sauce, and it provides a balance of sweetness to the tart cranberries and orange juice.
• Cinnamon sticks: Ground cinnamon lends a bolder flavor, while simmering sauces with cinnamon sticks adds a hint of the heat and spice without being too assertive.
• Grated ginger: You don't have to add fresh grated ginger, but we strongly encourage it. The fresh ginger adds a zest and bite you can't get from dried ground ginger. It won't be overly pronounced in the final dish, but it certainly makes this dish a bit more well-rounded.

Substitutes for Fresh Cranberries

I love cranberry everything throughout the year, so I often buy extra and freeze them for use when they aren't available in grocery stores. If you cannot find fresh cranberries and did not freeze some for future uses, you have a couple options.

• Frozen cranberries: Some grocery stores maintain frozen cranberries year-round. When making this cranberry orange sauce recipe, you don't even need to thaw them; just use them like fresh in the recipe. If your grocery store doesn't carry them (like mine in Florida), there are a number of farms that will ship a larger quantity to your door.
• Dried cranberries: As a substitute for fresh cranberries, 1 1/2 cup equals 12 ounces, the amount needed for one batch of this cranberry sauce. The first adjustment for dried cranberries is to add an extra 1/2 cup of berries. Then comes the rehydrating. Boil enough water to cover the berries, and pour it over them in a heatproof bowl. Cover the bowl, and let them sit for 30 minutes. Drain with a mesh sieve until all the water is gone. Then make the recipe, except eliminate the sugar if your cranberries are sweetened (most are, so be sure to check on the package).

The other change with dried cranberries has to do with texture. The pectin (what naturally is released to thicken sauce made with fresh cranberries) is eliminated during the drying process. You won't hear any popping to clue the end of cook time. I boiled all the ingredients for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce from sticking. You will notice that once cooled, it is not as vibrant red in color, and because of the pectin loss, not as jelled. But the flavor is still that wonderful sweet-tart of homemade cranberry orange sauce.

How To Make Cranberry Orange Sauce

Cranberry sauce require some simmering time, but it's an otherwise easy side dish. Here's how it's done in a nutshell. The full recipe with step-by-step images is below:

• Cook cranberries: Add cranberries, orange juice, and sugar to a saucepan. Cook for about 10 minutes until sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes just to a boil.
• Add seasonings: Add the cinnamon sticks, orange zest, and ginger to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until nearly all the cranberries have burst.
• Cool: Move the pan to off the heat, and let the sauce come to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon sticks. Serve immediately, or chill in the refrigerator before serving.

How Far Ahead Can I Make Cranberry Orange Sauce?

Cranberry orange sauce is a great contender for a make-ahead dish. It's best served chilled so it has time to set, and is good in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

I like to make mine the day before so its shelf life is extended enough for me to slather it on leftover turkey sandwiches, cover my pumpkin pie and cheesecake with it, and sneak spoonfuls when I'm feeling snacky.

Can I Freeze Cranberry Orange Sauce?

Yes, you can freeze cranberry orange sauce. Let's say you just can't finish the leftover sauce in that two-week window. The best thing to do is transfer it to a freezer container where it will be good for another six months. Or you could make a double batch and know some will be on hand for a while.

How To Serve Cranberry Orange Sauce

We all know it's great with turkey. The tart flavor cuts the richness of gravy, mashed potatoes, and all the other Thanksgiving staples.

It also makes a delicious spread to serve with your charcuterie board, a topping for roasted meats like pork tenderloin and chicken, and an accompaniment to rich desserts like cheesecake. I also love it as the centerpiece of my thumbprint cookies, spread on toasted sourdough and scones, dolloped on Brie before baking it in puff pastry—it's incredibly versatile.