This flavorful whole berry cranberry orange sauce is a wonderful side dish for Thanksgiving! It’s incredibly easy to make, with only a few ingredients!
It’s almost Thanksgiving, and I am looking forward to making one of my favorite dishes… Whole Berry Cranberry Orange Sauce! It’s sooo good, and simple to whip up!
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As a kid, I didn’t like cranberry sauce. I thought of it as the big red wiggly blob of funny tasting stuff from a can that my Mom put out on a plate at Thanksgiving. Being the dutiful daughter that I am, I followed her example for many years in my own home. Funny thing, though… I never really liked it, because the gelatinous, wobbly texture made me cringe.
The OTHER Way I Make Cranberry Orange Sauce – My Mom’s Version
Years later my Mom began making a homemade cranberry-orange sauce, and I found I really enjoyed the fresh sweet and tartness. It’s DELICIOUS!
Her recipe is almost more like a fresh “relish”, requires no cooking and has orange, apple and fresh cranberries in it (finely ground using a food processor). I make her version often during the holidays. That homemade cranberry sauce recipe is so good I can eat it right out of the bowl with a spoon! It tastes very similar to the kind sold at Trader Joes!
How To Make My Version Of Whole Berry Cranberry Orange Sauce
I also enjoy a whole berry cranberry orange sauce, which is cooked… with most of the cranberries “popped”, but left whole in the sauce. I slightly adapted my Mom’s original recipe to make this version, and am happy to share it with you.
This recipe does not include apples, requires a very short cooking time to enable the cranberries to “pop”, and is full of cranberry orange flavor! It tastes AMAZING! Whole berry cranberry orange sauce is so delicious, I usually have to grab a spoon and take multiple “samples”. It’s a hard job, but somebody has to do it! I’m always happy to help!
The recipe for whole berry cranberry orange sauce is so easy to make from scratch. Basically the ingredients are placed into a large saucepan, and mixture is cooked. The ingredients are stirred frequently while the cranberries cook, until most of the cranberries have “popped”. This usually takes only 8-10 minutes.
Interesting Fact About Cooked Cranberries
Here’s an interesting side note – did you know when the cranberries are cooked at a high temperature and “pop” open, they release pectin? Yep, they do, and then the pectin turns around and slightly thickens the sauce naturally. Who knew a sauce using these two main ingredients could be so delicious AND thicken itself?
Anyways… I hope you will consider making your very own fresh whole berry cranberry orange sauce this Thanksgiving. I think you will be amazed at how great it tastes! We had a guest over to share Thanksgiving with us, and he said it was the BEST cranberry sauce he had ever had!
The awesome thing is that it can be made a couple days before you serve it, so it can free up your precious time in the kitchen the day of the big feast (just keep it covered in the fridge!).
Whole Berry Cranberry Orange Sauce Is A Perfect Thanksgiving Side Dish!
Now that you know how to make your own whole berry cranberry orange sauce, you can serve it proudly with all your other delicious traditional Thanksgiving side dishes!
I love to serve Pecan Praline Yams and Brown Butter Green Beans with Toasted Almonds and Red Peppers with our Thanksgiving meal, along with Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Quick Easy Cornbread Stuffing. YUM!
From our family to yours… we wish you a memorable Thanksgiving with those family or friends dear to you. As our family gathers each Thanksgiving, we are mindful of the many blessings, large and small, that God has poured into our lives. We gladly acknowledge and thank Him for these gifts, with overflowing, grateful hearts!
My hope is that you, as well, would know the joy of a heart filled with gratitude this season! I also hope you will enjoy this recipe for whole berry cranberry orange sauce! Have a great day, and come back soon for more recipes.
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Adapted from my recipe for Homemade Cranberry-Orange Sauce
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
- 1 bag fresh cranberries (12-16 ounces)
- Zest from 1 large orange (reserve just a bit for garnish)
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- Extra orange zest for garnish
- In a medium saucepan, mix together orange zest, fresh squeezed orange juice, water and granulated sugar. Stir and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add fresh cranberries. Bring sauce to a boil. Once mixture is boiling, turn the heat down to a low simmer. Cook (uncovered), stirring often, for 7-8 minutes, until the cranberries have "popped" open and the sauce has thickened. Once this occurs, remove the cranberry sauce from heat, and set aside. Let cranberry sauce cool completely. When ready to serve, garnish with additional orange zest, if desired. Serve this delicious sauce at room temperature or refrigerated! May be made 2-3 days in advance. Store in refrigerator in covered container.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
Looks delicious!
It’s yummy! My sister-in-law brought one of her friends to our home for Thanksgiving last year, and he said it was the best cranberry sauce he had ever had! We LOVE it!