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Homemade Make-Ahead Cranberry Orange Sauce with Ginger

cranberry orange sauce with ginger - featured image
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This easy make-ahead cranberry orange sauce with fresh ginger is tart, bright, spicy, and complex. Made with simple ingredients, it improves as it sits in the fridge, making it perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 large orange)
  • Zest of 1 large orange
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Zest and juice the orange. Wash and dry the orange, then grate the zest with a microplane, avoiding the white pith. Cut the orange in half and juice it to get about 1/2 cup of juice. Set both aside.
  2. Grate the fresh ginger. Peel a 2-inch piece of ginger using a spoon, then grate it finely with a microplane or the small holes of a box grater to get about 2 tablespoons.
  3. Combine everything in the saucepan. Add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, grated ginger, cinnamon stick, and a tiny pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
  4. Bring to a boil. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and stir occasionally until the mixture comes to a full boil, about 5 to 7 minutes. The cranberries will start to pop and soften.
  5. Reduce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the sauce is at a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries break down and the liquid thickens into a syrupy consistency.
  6. Check the consistency. After 10 minutes, the sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It will thicken more as it cools. For a chunkier sauce, leave some berries whole; for a smoother sauce, mash a few with the back of a spoon.
  7. Remove the cinnamon stick. Fish out the cinnamon stick with tongs or a fork. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed, adding an extra tablespoon of sugar while still warm if too tart.
  8. Cool completely. Let the sauce cool in the saucepan for about 30 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Once at room temperature, transfer to a jar or container.
  9. Refrigerate. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. The flavors meld and deepen as it sits.

Notes

Don’t skip the salt—it brightens all the flavors. Grate ginger on a microplane for a fine paste that melts into the sauce. Use a wide saucepan for faster evaporation. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so aim for a consistency slightly thinner than desired. Make it at least 24 hours ahead for the best flavor. Can be made up to two weeks in advance. Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry sauce, orange cranberry sauce, ginger cranberry sauce, make-ahead cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving cranberry sauce, holiday cranberry sauce, easy cranberry sauce

Find it online: https://lunafeast.com/homemade-make-ahead-cranberry-orange-sauce-with-ginger/