Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Herbs
This easy cranberry sauce with orange is made with fresh orange juice and zest, warm cinnamon, and a hint of rosemary. The longer it simmers, the better it gets—I always make it the day before. Perfectly balanced, not too sweet, not too tart. So much better than anything from a can.
Ingredients
1x Recipe (Standard - 8 Servings)
- 340 g fresh cranberries 12 oz
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
- 187 ml fresh orange juice ¾ cup, from about 2-3 oranges
- 53 ml water about 3½ tablespoons
- 7 g orange zest about 1 tablespoon, from 1-2 oranges
- 1 small cinnamon stick 2-3g
- ½ small sprig fresh rosemary optional but recommended
1.5x Recipe (Larger Batch - 12 Servings)
- 510 g fresh cranberries 18 oz
- 300 g granulated sugar 1½ cups
- 280 ml fresh orange juice or as much as you have from 3 oranges
- 80 ml water to make up the liquid difference
- 11 g orange zest about 1½ tablespoons
- 1 medium cinnamon stick 3-4g
- 1 small sprig fresh rosemary optional but recommended
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Add the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, orange zest, cinnamon stick, and rosemary sprig to the pot.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens to your desired consistency. Active method: 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Hands-off method: 1-2 hours on very low heat (stir when you remember).
- Remove from heat and let the sauce cool completely in the pot. It will thicken significantly as it cools—don't worry if it looks thin when hot.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary sprig before transferring to a storage container.
- Transfer the cooled sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate. The sauce will continue to set up in the fridge and keeps for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Orange juice flexibility: Use whatever fresh orange juice you have. About 3 medium oranges yields 280ml. Make up the difference with water. If you don't want to squeeze your own, grab fresh-squeezed orange juice from the grocery store—just avoid regular OJ, you'll taste the difference.
Consistency: The sauce will be thin when hot but thickens significantly as it cools. Let it cool completely before judging the texture.
Make it ahead: The longer this simmers, the better. I always make it the day before so the flavors have time to come together.
Scaling: This recipe scales easily. The 1.5x batch serves about 12.
Substitutions: Bottled 100% orange juice (not from concentrate) works in a pinch, but add extra zest to compensate. You can reduce sugar by up to 25% if you prefer a tarter sauce.
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