About Cranberry Sauce with Apple, Orange, and Cinnamon
Nothing quite says the holidays like cranberry sauce.
Because really, cranberry sauce is the staple fruit option to round out any respectable Thanksgiving dinner, amirite?
And maybe that’s because cranberries are one of those few flavors we reserve for the winter months, or maybe it’s because cranberries go amazingly well with all the turkey, but you know what?
Even if it wasn’t the holidays, I’d make cranberry sauce anyway simply because of the delicious sweetly tart taste.
But this is not your “every day” (or would that be “every Thanksgiving”?) cranberry sauce. No, I made cranberry sauce with apple, orange, and cinnamon.
Citrus is a pretty common pairing with the tart taste of cranberry, but I’ve also been on a bit of an apple kick lately – plus, it’s another festive fall favorite fruit.
Apple does so well when baked with juices and sauces, it seemed like a natural fit for cranberry sauce.
And just like expected, the cranberry sauce cooked up beautifully – I can’t wait to pair it with all our other Thanksgiving sides (some of which are cooking right as I type this!)
How long is cranberry sauce good for?
Yes, you totally can! Sauces like this do very well in the fridge.
In fact, homemade cranberry sauce can typically be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 3 to 4 days.
Can you freeze cranberry sauce?
Yes! Due to the high sugar content in cranberry sauce, it will keep it’s texture and flavor well once frozen.
Once frozen, cranberry sauce should remain good for one to two months.
Should you serve cranberry sauce warm or cold?
In the end, this comes down to personal preference, but to give you some ideas of how to decide:
- A warm sauce will be more liquid and may be better if you’re serving it to be eaten with other foods, like drizzling cranberry sauce over turkey.
- A chilled cranberry sauce might work best when served as a side dish, designed to be enjoyed on its own like creamed corn or green beans.
How long can you leave out cranberry sauce?
Whenever you’ve served perishable food, you should always keep track of how long it sits at room temperature.
For most foods, the general rule of thumb is that a perishable item should not be in the “danger zone” for more than two hours. And by “danger zone”, this is usually at or just above room temperature.
If you serve this sauce warm, that should give you another 30-60 minutes before needing to keep track of the time. So, in total, this sauce can be left out for an absolute maximum of three hours, depending on the temperature of the room. However, be sure to still check the sauce every now and then and use your best judgment on its condition. Once you pass the recommended time, you can warm it up in the microwave again. For best results, I’d recommend using a warming tray so that the cranberry sauce stays warm and above the “danger zone” temperature.
If you’re serving this sauce cold, try to keep it out for two hours or less. After that point, you can chill the sauce for another 30 minutes or so, then serve again.
More great sauce recipes
How to make homemade cranberry sauce
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Toss the fresh cranberries, water, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, maple syrup, apples, and cinnamon stick in a large saucepan.
Step 2 – Stir everything well.
Step 3 – Allow sauce to simmer until cranberries begin to burst and the sauce turns a creamy dark red color.
Step 4 – Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Details
Cranberry Sauce with Apple, Orange, and Cinnamon
This homemade cranberry sauce is cooked with the fall flavors of apples, orange, and cinnamon, giving this traditional holiday classic a melody of new flavors.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, maple syrup, apples, cinnamon stick, and water.
- Bring sauce to a boil and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Sauce has finished cooking when cranberries have have burst, giving the sauce it's trademark thick texture. Before removing from heat, taste test the sauce; if sauce is too tart, add 1 tablespoon of syrup or brown sugar until desired sweetness is reached.
Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Serve immediately.
Why hefty bags? Can I just store it a Tupperware or Pyrex container? And can I substitute ground cinnamon instead of a cinnamon stick?
Hey, KC! Yes, you can use any container you like and the cinnamon stick for ground cinnamon. If you need it, here’s a guide on how to do that: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/ingredients/detail/cinnamon-stick
I like to make this with 1/2 cup red wine instead of water. I add blueberries too 🙂 love this recipe, people who use canned cranberry sauce (yuck) are totally missing out!
Made this for our Thanksgiving dinner, the best cranberry sauce I’ve ever had. Used more brown sugar in place of maple syrup, because I didn’t have any syrup. It was so yummy!!!
I was thinking of adding some Mandarin oranges to this… How would that pair, and when would I add them to the schedule of things?? 🙂
Oranges would compliment the sauce, so I would add them the last 5 or 10 min. You don’t want them to be too mushy.