How To Make Cranberry Sauce From Scratch

There is no shortage of side dishes one can bring to a Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving dinner. You can be in charge of bringing the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, any number of casserole dishes or a festive holiday pie you baked from scratch. But, let's be honest: not all of us are whizzes in the kitchen. If you still want to bring something homemade for the holidays but tend to burn your green bean casserole, there's one side that is essentially foolproof: cranberry sauce.

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While cranberry sauce can be one of those Thanksgiving dishes you buy at the store, we're not talking about slicing up the canned stuff and calling it "homemade." We're talking about a real, fresh cranberry chutney made with only three ingredients: orange juice, sugar and a 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries.

If the cranberries are frozen, that's fine. Did you know that cranberries will keep in the freezer for over a year? If you use them frozen, you don't need to defrost them before making this recipe. As for kitchen equipment, all you need is a medium-sized saucepan and a stovetop.

This quick and easy side dish is essential for any Thanksgiving and can be ready in under 20 minutes. Your friends and family will be impressed that you made your cranberries from scratch. And who knows? After you tackle this dish, you may be ready to take on more of the best regional Thanksgiving dishes.

Easy Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions:

In a medium-sized saucepan, add 1 cup orange juice and 1 cup sugar.

Over medium heat, stir until the sugar is completely dissolved in the orange juice, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the cranberries.

Allow the cranberries to cook in the orange juice and sugar combination, lightly stirring occasionally, until the majority of the cranberries have "popped," about 10 minutes.

Transfer the cranberry sauce into a glass bowl with a lid. Refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve.