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Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apples Recipe

Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Apples

A simple stovetop cranberry sauce made with fresh or frozen cranberries, tart apple, cinnamon, and optional orange zest and juice. The sauce is ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any meal that needs a bright, sweet-tart side dish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 1 12-ounce bag (340 g) Fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 apple Medium tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced small
  • 1 cup (200 g) Granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (240 ml) Water
Warm Spices and Citrus
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg, optional
  • 1 teaspoon Finely grated orange zest, optional
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh orange juice, optional

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Pick over the cranberries, removing any soft or damaged berries. Rinse and drain fresh cranberries; frozen cranberries may be added straight from the freezer without thawing.
  2. Add the water and sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves.
  3. Add the cranberries, diced apple, cinnamon, optional nutmeg, orange zest, and optional orange juice. Stir carefully to combine.
  4. Return the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst and the mixture has thickened.
  5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool the sauce to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 2–4 hours, before serving cold or slightly cool.

Notes

The sauce will look somewhat loose while hot and will thicken substantially as it cools. Do not cook it until extremely thick in the pan, since overcooking can make it gummy. Store covered in the refrigerator and use within several days for the best flavor and texture.