Homemade Cranberry Sauce: A Three-Ingredient Holiday Side

Fresh cranberries in 12-ounce packages can be used in recipes that call for cranberry sauce. To prepare cranberry sauce, cook cranberries, granulated sugar, and water over heat until the cranberries burst, let the sauce cool and thicken, and prepare cranberry sauce in about 20 minutes.

Orange zest is the most common optional ingredient for savory dishes. I add orange zest to savory dishes early in the cooking process. As other ways to incorporate orange flavor, I sometimes add the zest and juice of 1 orange. Other options for savory dishes include cinnamon sticks and star anise to add to the sauce. To add heat, try cayenne pepper or finely chopped jalapeño peppers.

The berries begin to break down in the saucepan when you cook them over medium-high heat, and you lower the heat to low and cook them for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has begun to thicken. I do not check the doneness of the sauce in the hot saucepan, as the sauce will thicken further when removed from the heat.

I serve this as a holiday appetizer with Fried Goat Cheese. Good with pork dishes and leftovers for breakfast on toast or scones. Use leftovers as a topping for ice cream or yogurt. Stir into a dish of Cranberry Turkey Meatballs. Use as a glaze for chicken or pork dishes.