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Bold Cranberry Orange Sauce with Fresh Ginger

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This bold cranberry orange sauce with fresh ginger takes just 20 minutes and uses simple, wholesome ingredients. It’s the perfect bright, acidic pop that cuts through all the heavy, rich dishes on the holiday table.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz (340 g) fresh cranberries (one standard bag)
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice (from about 1 large navel orange)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) water
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Prep your aromatics: Wash the orange well. Using a microplane, zest the orange until you have about 2 tablespoons of zest. Be careful not to get the white pith. Cut the orange in half and juice it until you have 1/2 cup. Peel a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger with a spoon, then grate it on your microplane until you have 1 tablespoon. Set these aside.
  2. Combine base ingredients: Place a medium saucepan on the stove. Add the fresh cranberries, granulated sugar, water, and optional cinnamon stick. Give it a quick stir with a wooden spoon.
  3. Bring to a boil: Turn the heat to medium-high. Let the mixture come to a full, rolling boil. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes. You’ll see the cranberries start to pop and the liquid will become a beautiful pinkish-red. Once it boils, reduce the heat immediately.
  4. Simmer gently: Reduce the heat to medium-low so the sauce is at a gentle simmer. Set your timer for 10 minutes. Stir the pot occasionally, every 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom to make sure nothing is sticking.
  5. Add the fresh elements: After 10 minutes, the sauce should have thickened noticeably and most of the cranberries will have burst. Turn off the heat. Stir in the fresh orange juice, orange zest, and finely grated fresh ginger. Stir until everything is well combined.
  6. Cool and thicken: Let the sauce sit in the pot for about 5 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools. If you want a smoother sauce, use a potato masher or the back of your spoon to break up any remaining whole cranberries. I like to leave about a third of them whole for texture.
  7. Fish out the cinnamon stick: Before transferring the sauce, remove the cinnamon stick.
  8. Cool completely: Pour the sauce into a serving bowl or storage jar. Let it come to room temperature on the counter. It will thicken up considerably as it cools. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

Notes

Add the ginger and orange juice at the end, off the heat, to keep their bright, zingy flavor intact. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so aim for a consistency that coats the back of a spoon but still drips off when you turn off the heat. This sauce is actually better when made ahead of time—the flavors meld and deepen in the fridge overnight. If the sauce seems too thin after cooling, return it to the pot and simmer for another 3-4 minutes. If too thick, stir in a tablespoon of water or orange juice at a time.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry sauce, orange cranberry sauce, fresh ginger, Thanksgiving, holiday, easy, 20-minute, homemade, gluten-free, vegan

Find it online: https://sunnysavory.com/bold-cranberry-orange-sauce-with-fresh-ginger-easy-20-min-recipe/