Tart and delicious and shaped just like the jellied cranberry sauce you'd get from a can, but made with only two ingredients! A must have to serve alongside your turkey for holiday dinners!
Make this cranberry sauce ahead of time for less stress when preparing for your holiday meal.
Why make homemade cranberry sauce
For my family, cranberry sauce is an absolute must to serve with our holiday turkey! I like to serve two kinds - this jellied sauce and a whole berry cranberry sauce.
Making your own cranberry sauce isn't difficult. The hardest part is staining the cranberries and it just takes a bit of time pushing all the pulp through a fine meshed strainer.
When a recipe only calls for two ingredients, (plus water) and no high fructose corn syrup like the canned varieties, you will want to want to make this yourself!
Cranberries naturally are high in pectin and when you cook cranberries, that pectin is released. Pectin allows the sauce to thicken and hold its shape. I placed my sauce into a small jelly jar and then refrigerated it.
When ready to use, I simply slide a butter knife around the edges and had a perfectly shaped jellied cranberry sauce!
My sister is a bit of a fanatic about her canned cranberry sauce, but I'm thinking I might be able to convert her with this homemade variety!
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries - frozen can be used too
- Granulated sugar
- Water
Step by step directions
- Place cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat
- Stir until sugar dissolves
- The berries will begin to pop as they heat up and then they will begin to break down and the sauce will become thicker
- Cook until the liquid from the cranberries is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
- Pour cooked cranberries into a sieve over a bowl
- Use a spatula or spoon to push the liquid and pulp through the sieve
- Discard the seeds and skin
- Pour cranberry sauce into a small glass jar
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until fully chilled
When ready to use
- Remove from refrigerator and slide a butter knife around the inside of the jar
- Slowly let cranberry sauce slip from the jar. If the sauce is resistant and doesn't want to slide out, dip the bottom of the jar in hot tap water for 30 seconds and try again.
- Slice and arrange with slices overlapping
Recipe tips
- Cook over low to medium low heat to avoid scorching
- Stir berries often
- Straining the berries takes a bit of patience. Use a heavy duty spoon, a spatula or the bottom of a soup ladle.
- Be certain to scrape the bottom, or outside of the sieve. A lot of strained pulp will cling to the sieve.
- Place in a jelly jar for the cylindrical shape. Can also be place into a bowl, if prefered.
- Make certain cranberry sauce is fully chilled before removing from jar
- Use a knife to release the sauce. If sauce is sticking, dip end of jar into warm water for 30 seconds.
Flavor add-ins
If you're looking to jazz up plain cranberry sauce you can add any one of these ingredients to the sauce while it is cooking. Remove before straining.
- Cinnamon stick
- Orange peel
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh ginger
Recipe Faqs
This sauce will last up to two weeks if covered and refrigerated.
Yes, this sauce can be frozen. Place into jelly jars and allow to cool. Once cool, cover and place in freezer.
To use, remove from freezer and allow to thaw.
More holiday recipes
- Whole berry cranberry sauce
- Mashed potatoes
- Green beans
- Dinner rolls
- Sweet potato casserole
- Baked ham with citrus glaze
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be certain to check out all my delicious side dish recipes!
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cranberries (1 bag)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
Instructions
Sauce
- Place cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium low heat12 ounces cranberries, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup water
- Stir every few minutes until berries have popped and the sauce has thickened. Test by coating the back of a spoon with the sauce. Run your finger through the sauce on the spoon. If the sauce stays separated, it is done.
- Place sauce in a fine meshed sieve over a bowl. Mash the berries and the sauce so it gets pushed through the sieve. You will have about ½ cup of seeds and skin left.
- Pour strained sauce into a jelly glass. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until fully cooled.
To serve
- Remove from refrigerator and slide a butter knife around the inside of the jar. Slowly let cranberry sauce slip from the jar. If the sauce is resistant and doesn't want to slide out, dip the bottom of the jar in hot tap water for 30 seconds and try again.
Notes
- Recipe yields 1 - 1 ¼ cups of sauce
- Cook over low to medium low heat to avoid scorching
- Stir berries often
- Straining the berries takes a bit of patience. Use a heavy duty spoon, a spatula or the bottom of a soup ladle.
- Be certain to scrape the bottom or outside of the sieve. A lot of strained pulp will cling to the sieve.
- Place in a jelly jar for the cylindrical shape. Can also be place into a bowl, if prefered.
- Make certain cranberry sauce is fully chilled before removing from jar
- Use a knife to release the sauce. If sauce is sticking, dip end of jar into warm water for 30 seconds.
- Cinnamon stick
- Orange peel
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh ginger
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Ocean Spray.
Judy says
I made this for Thanksgiving . I added a little orange juice, and it was so good!Thank you….so simple but so good!
Kathy says
Thank you, Judy! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Kathy 🙂
David @ Spiced says
I've never been a fan of the canned version of cranberry sauce. I typically make my own version here at home, but I've never made a jellied version. I might have to try one of each this year - thanks for sharing!!
Kathy says
It's fun to make! 🙂