How to Make Delicious Cranberry Sauce – 22 Step-by-Step Recipes with Photos

Principles of sauce preparation

The first rule in preparing any dish is fresh, high-quality ingredients. Cranberries for the sauce should be freshly picked, ripe, and undamaged. If the berries are not yet in season or are already out of season, you can use frozen ones. Defrost them naturally, without heat treatment.

The harvested cranberries need to be prepared. First, they are washed in a deep container, removing any small debris, specks, leaves, and spoiled fruit. Next, the cranberries are spread out on a towel and allowed to dry thoroughly.

The berries are boiled until the thin skins burst. Then they are pureed in a blender or put through a meat grinder to achieve a smooth consistency. The prepared sauce is served with meat dishes, appetizers, poultry, fish and even desserts.

Video: Spicy Cranberry Sauce

This video provides a step-by-step master class on how to prepare this dish.

Popular cranberry sauce recipes

There are so many ways to make berry dressing that it can be overwhelming. We recommend first deciding what dish you'll be making cranberry sauce for, and then choosing the right recipe.

Classical

The traditional dressing does not have a wide variety of ingredients, but it turns out very tasty and piquant.

1. Make a sweet syrup. Dissolve 185 g of granulated sugar in 125 ml of purified water. Heat until the crystals are completely dissolved.
2. Reduce heat and add 170g of cranberries. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the berries are tender.
3. Place the finished product in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Universal

Cranberry sauce prepared according to this recipe goes well with any type of meat and even pasta.

1. Pour 150 g of fruit into ¼ cup of purified water. Add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer until the skins crack.
2. Dissolve 20 g of potato starch in 25 ml of water. Pour it into the main mixture in a thin stream.
3. Cook for another 5 minutes, then puree with a blender.

Sweet and sour

A fairly quick method that allows you to even preserve the dressing for the winter.

1. Pour 200 ml of purified water over 1 cup of berries. Add one chopped onion. Simmer until the main ingredient is tender.
2. Blend the mixture. Add 60g of granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, cinnamon powder, and granulated garlic. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is reduced by half.
3. Before removing from the stove, pour in 16 ml of table vinegar.

Spicy

This fiery dressing is also versatile. But it's best paired with poultry, such as duck.

1. Pour 700 g of cranberries into 2 cups of granulated sugar.
2. Add four finely chopped chilies, the grated zest of one lemon, and four star anise. Pour in 60 ml of lemon juice and 16 ml of cognac.
3. Pour 375 ml of purified water over the berries. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about fifteen minutes.

For confectionery products

This sweet and sour sauce recipe is perfect for more than just baking. It can also be served with fruit salads.

1. Pour 150 g of fruit into ¼ cup of boiling water. Add 60 g of chopped tangerines.
2. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, then add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
3. Dissolve 8 g of potato starch in 20 ml of purified water. Pour it in a thin stream, stirring constantly.

To the meat

This simple dressing recipe goes well with any type of meat.

1. Combine 300 g of northern berries with two chopped onions. Add 1 cup of purified water.
2. Let the mixture boil, then simmer slowly for about a quarter of an hour.
3. Puree the cooled mixture with a blender. Add 60 ml of vinegar (apple cider vinegar), 1 tbsp of granulated sugar, and a couple of teaspoons of cinnamon.
4. Simmer the sauce for another 8-10 minutes.

To the chicken

To add a savory twist to everyday chicken dishes, we suggest you prepare this dressing:

1. Pour 150 ml of Cabernet over 400 g of cranberries. Add a little purified water and let the liquid evaporate by half.
2. Add the juice squeezed from a small piece of ginger root. Add 30 g of granulated sugar, a little salt, and pepper.
3. Simmer slowly for about a quarter of an hour.
4. Dissolve a teaspoon of potato starch. Pour it into the mixture in a thin stream. Let it simmer for a couple more minutes.

To the duck

This sauce can be used to remove the specific smell and excess fat from meat.

1. Heat 200g of fruit over medium heat until the skins crack.
2. Remove the zest from one orange and half a lemon and chop the fruit finely.
3. Combine all ingredients, adding 1 cup of granulated sugar, 20 g of ground ginger, grated zest, and a little salt.
4. Boil for about five minutes, then add ½ teaspoon of nutmeg.

To the turkey

Cranberry dressing for turkey adds a savory flavor to the bird and gives the meat a beautiful ruby ​​color.

1. Add 600 g of berries to 0.3 kg of granulated sugar. Boil until the skins crack.
2. Add the grated zest of two oranges and half the freshly squeezed juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for about fifteen minutes.
3. Pour in 60-80 ml of brandy and, after bringing it to a boil again, remove the finished product from the heat.

This sauce is traditional for Americans who roast turkey every year for Thanksgiving.

To the fish

Fish also “loves” berry sauces, so feel free to serve this aromatic dressing.

1. Saute one onion in butter.
2. Separate the orange into zest and juice, removing all the seeds first.
3. Combine 300 g of fruit with the prepared ingredients. Pour in 2 tablespoons of liquid honey.
4. Simmer the mixture for about fifteen minutes. Before turning off the heat, add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Beat the mixture with a blender and then rub through a fine sieve.

To the cheese

To avoid drowning out the cheesy notes, chefs recommend preparing the simplest sauce possible using a minimum of ingredients.

1. Squeeze the juice from 300 g of northern berries.
2. Add one and a half cups of granulated sugar to the liquid.
3. Let the mixture boil and simmer for a little over a quarter of an hour, until the dressing becomes thick.

With lingonberries

Both berries complement each other perfectly, making this versatile sauce incredibly delicious.

1. Sprinkle 200 g of each fruit with one and a half cups of granulated sugar.
2. Heat, stirring constantly, until the crystals are completely dissolved.
3. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg and a little salt. Before the mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat.

With orange and spices

Spice lovers will surely love this spicy version:

1. Heat 200g of the main ingredient until the skin bursts.
2. Add the grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of one orange. Add 75 g of granulated sugar, a pinch of allspice, and ground cloves.
3. Add a little rosemary, nutmeg, ground ginger, cinnamon powder, black pepper.
4. After bringing to a boil, simmer the sauce for no more than a quarter of an hour.

With an apple

The apple will soften the cranberry tartness a little, making the dressing more delicate.

1. Finely chop one apple. Combine them with 170 g of berries.
2. After pouring a glass of purified water over the products, add 100 g of granulated sugar.
3. Let the mixture boil, then simmer for 10 minutes over low heat.
4. Puree the resulting berry-fruit mixture with a blender.

With honey and mustard

This sauce, with its piquant bitterness, is a perfect complement to vegetarian menus or cold meat dishes.

1. Combine 80 g of fruit, a tablespoon of liquid honey, 30 ml of cucumber or tomato brine and 20 ml of vegetable oil.
2. Blend the mixture until smooth.
3. Add ½ teaspoon of dry mustard and a little salt. Mix thoroughly.

With onions

As strange as it may sound, cranberries pair perfectly with onions. So, we offer you the following recipe:

1. Boil 280 g of white or red onion for a couple of minutes. Dry thoroughly, then slice into thin rings.
2. Caramelize a cup of granulated sugar. Add 200 ml of boiling water and let the caramel dissolve.
3. Combine both ingredients with 0.5 kg of berries. Add 100 g of raisins.
4. Boil for 10 minutes until the cranberries become soft.

With wine and cinnamon

A spicy dressing with added alcohol and spices will help enhance the flavor of any dish.

1. Caramelize 1 cup of granulated sugar. Pour in a glass of Cabernet and simmer briefly until the caramel dissolves.
2. Add grated orange zest and half the freshly squeezed juice. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes, then pour in 100 g of cranberries.
3. After 5 minutes, add a bay leaf, a cinnamon stick, and a few cloves. After 15 minutes, remove the spices.
4. Divide the dressing evenly. Blend one portion, then combine with the other.

With wine and garlic

Due to the specific spiciness of garlic, this sauce is best served only with meat.

1. Puree 50 g of ripe fruit. Add one and a half cups of purified water and simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Chop 3 cloves of garlic (the finer the better). Add it to the berry mixture.
3. Add 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar and salt to taste. Add 50 ml of Cabernet. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
4. Rub the cooled mass through a fine sieve.

With wine, pear and walnuts

Traditionally, this recipe contains brandy, but cooks are increasingly replacing it with wine.

1. Combine 200g cranberries with one finely chopped pear.
2. Throw in a cinnamon stick, a few black peppercorns, 30 g of granulated sugar.
3. Pour in 1 tablespoon of Cabernet diluted in a third of a glass of purified water. Bring to a boil and simmer for no more than 15 minutes.
4. Toast ½ cup walnuts in a frying pan, then chop them finely. Once the sauce is ready, add them to the mixture.

With ginger

This spicy, piquant sauce can be made with any citrus fruit. Each will add its own unique flavor to the dressing.

1. Pour 50 ml of purified water over a glass of berries. Add 60 g of granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of dry red wine, and the freshly squeezed juice of one orange.
2. Add the grated zest, ½ teaspoon of rosemary, a pinch of salt, chili, and cloves. Add 1/3 teaspoon of ground ginger, nutmeg, and black pepper.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Divide the cooled product into two parts, puree one of them, and then combine again, mixing thoroughly.

With lemon and chili pepper

The dressing according to this recipe turns out very hot, so it will definitely please those who like spicy food.

1. Pour a glass of purified water over 350 g of the fruit. Boil for 5 minutes, adding a couple of star anise.
2. Blend the cooled cranberries.
3. Add two crushed chilies, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 cup of granulated sugar, a little salt and pepper to the cranberry puree.
4. Simmer slowly for about a quarter of an hour, then pour in a tablespoon of cabernet.
5. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of potato starch and whisk it into the dressing in a thin stream. After 2-3 minutes, remove the finished product from the heat.

You can use a stronger alcohol for this dressing. In this case, the proportions would be halved.

American style

This dressing goes perfectly with any poultry dish.

1. Sprinkle 150g of berries with 2 tbsp of granulated sugar. Cook until the skins crack.
2. Add citrus juice (lemon and orange), grated zest, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and a couple of cloves. Add 100 g of ground nutmeg.
3. Boil for about a quarter of an hour, until thickened.
4. Dissolve 3 g of potato starch and pour it in a thin stream into the mixture.
5. Chill well before serving.

Despite the vibrant main ingredient, cranberry sauces prepared in different ways will have their own distinct flavor. But no matter which recipe you choose, the dressing will be incredibly delicious!