Here is my recipe for cranberry sauce. Delicious and very popular during the holiday season, this sauce can also be used to replace jams and spreads for any use all year round.
Why making your own cranberry sauce
There are many reasons to make your own cranberry sauce. Here are the main ones:
- You can have the pleasure to use fresh cranberries.
- You can customize it as you want.
- Less sugar and more simple ingredients.
Kidney nutrition
The size of one serving of this cranberry sauce is 2 tablespoons. In reasonable amounts, this condiment can be considered low in sugar.
Nutrition facts and claims
Here are the nutritional values and claims of this recipe.
For informational purposes only.
Pop the cranberries
It is important to burst the cranberries when preparing cranberry sauce. By doing this, you will be sure to get a good sauce without whole cranberries.
I’ve already made this recipe by letting them burst on their own while cooking. The sauce had the same good flavor, but the texture was much less desirable.
In addition, during my experiments, I noticed that frozen cranberries are easier to burst while cooking and the final texture of the sauce is smoother.
Variations
Reduce the sugar
If you want to reduce the amount of sugar per serving, you can easily replace some of the maple syrup with the same amount of water or orange juice.
However, this will have a considerable impact on the taste. I do not recommend replacing more than half of the maple syrup used in this recipe.
I tried it and the taste was more bitter than the original version, but still good according to my own taste. But when I asked a friend to try it, he hated it! It’s really a matter of preferences.
One way to compensate a little for the bitterness due to the lack of sugar is to add a little more vanilla extract.
Adjust the thickness
You can easily adjust the thickness of this recipe. If you prefer a more liquid sauce, use more water and orange juice.
If, on the other hand, you prefer a thicker sauce, you can simply let the sauce cook longer in order to thicken it.
Honey
In this recipe, it’s possible to use honey instead of maple syrup. Simply use the same amount as indicated in the recipe.
Use spices
The basic recipe is simple and does not need spices. But spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and cardamom really add something to this sauce.
That’s why I also added a spicy variation and a spicy rum variation in the recipe below.
You can also add the spices of your choice. I didn’t mention it in the recipe, but I did it once with 1 cinnamon stick and 2 star anise. This has given this sauce a very original and tasty twist.
Orange burst
If you like a strong orange taste, replace the water with the same amount of orange juice. You can also add orange zest before cooking and as topping!
However, with or without modification, avoid using an orange juice made from concentrate! These tend to have very little taste and will not give you the desired result in this recipe.
Conservation
This cranberry sauce will keep for 8 to 10 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator and can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator before use.
More recipes
If you like this recipe, you might also like these ones:
Cranberry Sauce
INGREDIENTS
Basic cranberry sauce
- 4 cups cranberries (Fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Spicy variation
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- â…› tsp ground clove
- â…› tsp ground nutmeg
- â…› tsp ground cardamom
Spicy rum variation
- ½ tsp rum extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan depending on the variation you make.If you're making the basic recipe, use only the ingredients listed under Basic Cranberry Sauce.I you make the spicy variation, use the basic cranberry sauce ingredients and the spices listed under Spicy Variation.If you want to make the Spicy Rum Variation, simply combine all the ingredients listed.
- Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes uncovered.You can also simmer half covered to avoid splashing towards the end of cooking.While cooking, pop cranberries frequently with a wooden spoon. Before you finish cooking, make sure all cranberries are burst.
- Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
NOTES
NUTRITION FACTS
For informational purposes only. Nutrition data is primarily calculated from the USDA National Database. Values may vary from accuracy of measurements, brands, nutritional data and more. All measurements are metric (1 cup = 250ml). Readers are encouraged to make their own calculations.
Marc-Andre has been a kidney warrior since 2007. Since that time, he has learned to create his own kidney friendly recipes to preserve as much as possible his kidney functions. Now he wants to share what he has learned to help other kidney patients find tasty kidney friendly recipes.
Roxanne Papineau, RD, is a registered dietitian specializing in nephrology with over 15 years of experience in the field. She writes articles and reviews the content published on this site to ensure that it meets the most up-to-date recommendations for people with kidney disease.
