Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. When you click on these links (and pictures), I may receive a small commission – as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It will not cost you anything. I only share products and services that I truly believe in and think are great.
The holidays are rapidly approaching. The decorations, the gatherings, the parties, the feasts… If you are like me, you dread being served the horrid cranberry sauce that comes in a can and comes out of the can shaped like the can. (YUCK!)
Have no fear, I’m sharing my mother’s cranberry sauce recipe. It is my favorite holiday dish! It is so easy to make. If you love it as much as I do, you can can it in mason jars (no canner or pressure cooker needed) and give it away as gifts this season.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
2 (12 oz) bags of fresh cranberries
5 cuties (clementines) – both zest and peeled and segmented fruit (if the peel is really thin, you can simply dice the peel instead of zesting it)
2 Cups sugar
1 ½ Tbs chopped candied ginger (available at places like Sprouts and Whole Foods)
1 can crushed pineapple (pineapple tidbits work well too)
Pour all ingredients into a large skillet on the stove. Turn the burner on high.
Stir to mix together.
Occasionally stir while the mixture boils and reduces.
The cranberries will pop, and release juices.
When the mixture has thickened it is done. (The total cook time is about 10 minutes.)
It is delicious when served warm, at room temperature, and even cold.
For Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner I like to eat them on their own (as a side dish), but leftover I enjoy them on toast like a jam, and this recipe is pretty tasty on crackers too!
Canning Homemade Cranberry Sauce
If you want to preserve it/can it, that is easy peasey too!
To start you need some canning jars (either jam/jelly jars which are 4 oz jars, or pint jars which are 16 oz).
Next, the sterilize jars. Place the jars (with the lids removed and set aside) in the sink. Add ½ a tsp of bleach to each jar, then run really hot water in each jar until it overflows. Dump out each jar and place them on a clean towel.
Make the cranberry sauce. (Note: One batch of cranberry sauce fills about 4 ½ pint jars.)
Bring a small pot of water to a boil with the jar lids inside. When the water boils remove the pot from the stove and carefully place the lids and rings onto the filled jars.
Turn the closed jars upside down and let them cool.
(As the contents cool, they suck a vacuum on the lid which causes it to seal.)
When the cranberry sauce has cooled turn them back over and check that the lids have sealed – meaning they don’t make a popping sound or have any give when you press the center of the lid.
Most of the jars will have sealed, but if one doesn’t, don’t worry. It could still seal – it will make a little popping sound when it does.
If it does not seal within an hour of being turned upright, put it in the refrigerator, it is yours to enjoy.
These make great gifts for the holiday season for friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, etc.
If you want to jazz up the appearance of the jars, take the ring (NOT THE LID) off the jars and add a piece of festive fabric over the lid before you screw the ring back on the jar. You can also tie a ribbon or twine around the ring for an added touch.
I hope y’all love this recipe as much as I do. Later on in the season I will be sharing with y’all some other recipes that I use this cranberry sauce in – think desserts!
Oh yum!
[…] for other holiday recipes? Check out my delicious homemade fresh cranberry sauce, or all my other recipes […]
[…] is an optional layer. If you want jam between the layers, I highly recommend my Cranberry Sauce. If you don’t want to add the jam layer, layering frosting between the cake layers is tasty too.I […]