The Easiest Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is one of those things that seems as though it should be complicated, and it simply isn’t. Four ingredients go into a saucepan, and twenty minutes later you have something far brighter and fresher than anything from a can.

I use pomegranate juice instead of water, which gives the sauce a deeper color and a gentle tartness, and a couple of tangerines for a little citrus sweetness. You can make it sweeter or sharper by adjusting the sugar to your taste.

It needs to chill overnight to set, which makes it one of the easiest things to cross off the list the day before Thanksgiving.

Why this cranberry sauce works

• Pomegranate juice adds depth and color that water can’t.

• Tangerine zest and juice soften the cranberries’ tartness with natural sweetness.

• An overnight chill lets the natural pectin in the cranberries set the sauce.

• It’s made ahead, so it’s one less thing to do on the day.

Ingredients for cranberry sauce

• Cranberries: fresh or frozen both work. There’s no need to thaw frozen ones first.

• Pomegranate juice: I use Pom Wonderful. Use a little more if you prefer a looser sauce.

• Sugar: start with ½ cup and add more to taste. Maple syrup works too.

Ingredients

• 1 bag (12–16 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries

• ½–¾ cup sugar, or maple syrup

• 1 cup pomegranate juice (I use Pom Wonderful), plus more for a thinner sauce

• 2 small tangerines, zested, then cut into quarters

Method

1. Combine: Add the cranberries, sugar, pomegranate juice, tangerine zest and tangerine quarters to a saucepan.

2. Simmer: Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the cranberries have burst and softened.

3. Remove the tangerines: Lift out the tangerine quarters, squeezing their juice back into the pan.

4. Taste: Add more sugar if you’d like it sweeter, or a splash more juice if it’s very thick.

5. Chill: Let it cool, transfer to a container, and refrigerate overnight to set. Thanksgiving is served.

Tips for the best cranberry sauce

• Don’t worry if it looks thin while hot. It thickens considerably as it chills.

• Taste before chilling. It’s much easier to adjust the sweetness while it’s warm.

• Zest before you quarter the tangerines.

Substitutions

• No tangerines? Use the zest and juice of 1 orange.

• No pomegranate juice? Use orange juice or water.

• Refined-sugar-free: use maple syrup instead of sugar.

How to store cranberry sauce
Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 10 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers make a lovely filling for my Cranberry Jam Bars.

FAQ
Can I use frozen cranberries? Yes. Add them straight from frozen and simmer a few minutes longer.
How far ahead can I make it? Up to a week ahead, which makes it ideal for Thanksgiving.
Why is my sauce runny? It just needs more time in the fridge, or a few more minutes of simmering next time.

What I used
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• Saucepan

• Microplane zester

• Glass storage jar

• Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice