Homemade cranberry sauce in 15 minutes, plus 8 easy variations

The short answer: homemade cranberry sauce is the easiest dish on the Thanksgiving table: three ingredients, about 15 minutes, and you can make it days ahead.

• Basic batch: makes about 2 1/4 cups, enough for 8 to 10 people
• For 12 to 16 guests: 2 bags of cranberries
• Eight variations, including orange, maple and spiced
• Storage and troubleshooting below
• Next step: Plan it with the Family Recipe Binder ($6.99).

Prep time: 5 minCook time: 10 minTotal time: 15 minServings: 8 to 10 servings

Homemade cranberry sauce is the easiest dish on the Thanksgiving table. It takes three ingredients and about 15 minutes, and you can make it days ahead. Most people who try homemade cranberry sauce once never go back to the can, though there's no shame in serving both. This guide gives you the basic recipe, eight variations, how much to make and how to store it safely.

A little about cranberries

Cranberries are one of the few fruits native to North America. Britannica notes that the American cranberry is grown mostly in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Wisconsin, and near the Pacific coast in Washington and Oregon. The harvest runs from early September to late October. Growers often flood the fields so the ripe, floating berries can be scooped off the water. That's why fresh bags show up in stores just before Thanksgiving.

Cranberries are very tart and full of natural pectin. The tartness is why they pair so well with rich turkey and gravy. The pectin is why a simple sauce sets up firm without any added gelatin.

Basic cranberry sauce recipe

Makes about 2 1/4 cups, enough for 8 to 10 people.

Ingredients

• 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water (or orange juice)
• A pinch of salt

Steps

1. Rinse the berries. Put them in a colander, rinse them and pick out any soft or shriveled ones and stems.
2. Make the syrup. In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar, water and salt to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the cranberries. Stir them in and bring it back to a boil.
4. Simmer. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until most of the berries have burst.
5. Cool. Take it off the heat. It will look loose, but it thickens as it cools.
6. Chill. Move it to a bowl, cover it and refrigerate it for at least an hour, or up to a week.

That's it. If you want a smoother sauce, mash it with a potato masher or press it through a strainer while it's warm.

8 easy cranberry sauce variations

1. Orange cranberry sauce. Use orange juice instead of water and stir in 1 teaspoon of grated orange zest at the end.
2. Maple cranberry sauce. Replace the sugar with 3/4 cup of maple syrup and use 3/4 cup of water.
3. Spiced cranberry sauce. Simmer with a cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves and a strip of orange peel. Remove them before serving.
4. Apple cranberry sauce. Add 1 peeled, diced apple with the berries.
5. Ginger cranberry sauce. Stir in 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger.
6. Cranberry sauce with nuts. Fold in 1/2 cup of toasted chopped pecans or walnuts once it has cooled.
7. Low-sugar cranberry sauce. Use 1/2 cup of sugar or honey and a grated apple for extra sweetness.
8. Jellied cranberry sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes, press the sauce through a fine strainer to remove the skins, then pour it into a lightly oiled small loaf pan or can-shaped mold. Chill overnight and turn it out to slice.

How much cranberry sauce to make

Plan about 1/4 cup per person. One 12-ounce bag makes about 2 1/4 cups.

Use a wider pot for a double or triple batch so the berries cook evenly, and add a few minutes to the simmer time.

When to make cranberry sauce

Cranberry sauce is perfect for making ahead. A typical schedule:

• The weekend before Thanksgiving: Buy the cranberries. Grab an extra bag to freeze.
• Monday to Wednesday: Make the sauce and refrigerate it in a covered container.
• Thanksgiving morning: Spoon it into a serving bowl and keep it in the fridge.
• 30 minutes before dinner: Set it out so it comes to cool room temperature.

Write it on your plan so it isn't forgotten in the fridge. Many families have found a full bowl of cranberry sauce on Friday morning. Our Thanksgiving checklist and Thanksgiving menu template help you place it in the week.

Buying and storing fresh cranberries

Fresh cranberries usually come in 12-ounce bags in the produce section from October through December. Look for berries that are firm, shiny and deep red. A few pale ones are fine, since they still cook well. Skip bags with lots of soft, wrinkled or wet berries.

Keep unopened bags in the fridge, where they usually last a few weeks. For longer storage, put the bag straight into the freezer. Frozen cranberries keep for months and go into the pot without thawing. Since fresh bags disappear from many stores after the holidays, buy a few extra in November for muffins, breads and sauce later in winter.

No-cook cranberry relish

Cranberry relish is a fresh, crunchy cousin of cranberry sauce. It needs no stove at all.

1. Put one 12-ounce bag of cranberries in a food processor.
2. Add one whole seedless orange, cut into chunks, peel and all.
3. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar.
4. Pulse until finely chopped, but not smooth.
5. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight so the sugar dissolves and the flavors blend.

Relish is brighter and more tart than cooked sauce. Many families serve a bowl of each.

How to store cranberry sauce

• In the fridge. Homemade cranberry sauce usually keeps 1 to 2 weeks in a covered container. It's high in sugar and acid, so it lasts longer than most leftovers. Always use a clean spoon. Toss it if you see mold or it smells off.
• In the freezer. Freeze it in a container or zip-top bag, leaving a little headspace. Use it within about 2 months for the best texture. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir well.
• On the table. Like other perishable foods, don't leave it out longer than needed. USDA FSIS says to refrigerate perishable leftovers within 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's above 90°F.

The FoodSafety.gov four steps of clean, separate, cook and chill apply to every dish on the table. Keep a separate spoon for the cranberry bowl, and chill leftovers promptly.

Troubleshooting cranberry sauce

• Too runny. It sets as it cools, so chill it first. If it's still loose, simmer 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Too thick. Stir in warm water or orange juice a tablespoon at a time.
• Too tart. Add sugar or maple syrup a tablespoon at a time while it's warm. A pinch of salt also softens the sour taste.
• Too sweet. Add a squeeze of lemon or orange juice and a handful of fresh berries, then simmer a few minutes.
• Bitter. Overcooking can make it bitter. Simmer only until the berries pop.

Ways to use leftover cranberry sauce

Leftover cranberry sauce is one of the best parts of the holiday. Try it:

• On a turkey, stuffing and cranberry sandwich
• Spooned over brie or goat cheese with crackers
• Stirred into plain yogurt or oatmeal
• As a glaze for pork chops or meatballs
• Swirled into muffin or quick bread batter
• On pancakes or waffles

Our Thanksgiving leftovers meal plan has a week of ideas for the rest of the turkey too.

Homemade vs. canned cranberry sauce

Many tables serve both. The homemade bowl wins over the grown-ups, and the canned slices keep the kids happy.

Plan the rest of the Thanksgiving table

Cranberry sauce is one dish in a meal with a lot of moving parts. Our Thanksgiving Edition meal planner ($4.99) has a harvest-design meal planner, a Thanksgiving Day timeline, a guest and dish sign-up, an aisle-sorted grocery list and pantry and freezer trackers. When you land on the family's favorite version, write it in our Family Recipe Binder ($6.99) so it gets passed down. For the rest of the meal, see our guides to how to make gravy and Thanksgiving side dishes.

Have extra cranberries? Turn them into Christmas jam, a sweet strawberry cranberry spread that makes an easy homemade gift.