Absolute Best Cranberry Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Empty the cranberries into a saucepan and transfer 1/2 cup to a small bowl. Add the sugar, zest and 2 tablespoons water to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries burst, about 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the reserved cranberries. Remove the citrus peel. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Empty a 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries into a saucepan and transfer 1/2 cup to a small bowl. Add 1 cup sugar, 1 strip orange or lemon zest and 2 tablespoons water to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the cranberries burst, about 12 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the reserved cranberries. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste and cool to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and mixture thickens slightly, 12 to 15 minutes. (Sauce will thicken more as it cools.) Remove from heat; let cool completely. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Rinse cranberries, place in 2-quart pan with water.
• Stir in Splenda Crystal Lite Orange powder, cinnamon, raspberry gelatin and unflavored gelatin if desired.
• Bring to a boil (or use crock pot for long simmering) mashing some of the berries with back of spoon.
• When thickened, pour into serving dish and refrigerate overnight.

Steps:

• Bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries just pop, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in zest, then cool. Do Ahead: Cranberry sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Editor's note: This recipe was originally published in the November 1999 issue of 'Gourmet' and first appeared on Epicurious in August 2004. Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving sides →