Easy Cranberry Sauce for the Holidays

Holidays mean traditions, and for me, Thanksgiving would not be Thanksgiving without homemade cranberry sauce.  This year, that means that I had to make my cranberry sauce early so it would be ready to pack in my suitcase later in the week. I plan to take it on a plane with me to share with our dear friends in Germany.  Am I crazy?  Well, maybe a little bit, but after you make this super easy recipe, you may never go back to serving the canned stuff again.  I hope this sauce will become a tradition for your family too!

The sauce keeps well in the fridge for at least a week.  You’ll hope there will be some left over because I promise that a sandwich made with this sauce, some cream cheese, and leftover turkey is truly divine!

It is as easy as this:

Pour the water and sugar into a medium to large saucepan over medium high heat.

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil while stirring occasionally to make sure all of the sugar dissolves.

Carefully add the cranberries.  The skins will begin to pop almost immediately.

Turn the heat down a little so the mixture is at a low boil for 11-12 minutes. Stir the sauce intermittently, making sure the sauce does not boil over.

Turn off the heat and allow the sauce to cool to room temperature.

The sauce continues to thicken as it cools.  Place the finished sauce in your refrigerator until you are ready to use it.  It will easily keep for over a week if stored in the in the fridge.

A Few Notes:

Cranberry sauce goes well with ham as well as turkey.  I make this sauce for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.  Freeze a few extra berries during the holidays so you can make this sauce during other times of the year.