So, I was looking to make some cranberry sauce from scratch, and I figured, why not jazz it up a bit? I decided to go with an Ocean Spray cranberry sauce with a hint of orange. It sounded like a good combo, you know, sweet and tart with a bit of citrusy zing. So I grabbed a bag of Ocean Spray cranberries, some oranges, sugar, and water, and got to work.
First off, I rinsed those cranberries under cold water, picked out any that looked a bit dodgy. Then, I zested one orange – man, that smell was already getting me in the holiday mood. After that, I juiced two oranges. I wanted that orange flavor to really shine, you know?
Next, I put a cup of water and a cup of sugar into a saucepan. I stirred them together and started heating it up over medium heat. I kept stirring until the sugar was all dissolved, making a simple syrup. Once it started to bubble a bit, I tossed in the cranberries.
I brought the whole thing to a boil and then turned the heat down to let it simmer. Oh boy, the color was turning this beautiful, deep red. After about 10 minutes, most of the cranberries had popped. That’s when I threw in the orange zest and juice.
I let it all simmer together for another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. The sauce started to thicken up nicely, and the aroma? Absolutely amazing. Cranberries and oranges, man, they really do go well together.
Once I felt it had reached the right consistency – not too runny, not too thick – I took it off the heat. I let it cool down a bit before giving it a taste. Holy moly, it was good! The sweetness of the cranberries balanced with that tangy orange flavor, it was just perfect.
I poured the sauce into a bowl and let it cool completely. Then, I covered it and stuck it in the fridge. It’s best when it’s chilled, plus it thickens up a bit more in there.
My Final Thought
- Prepare the ingredients: Gathered and prepped all ingredients.
- Cook cranberries: Combined water and sugar, boiled, then simmered with cranberries.
- Add orange: Stirred in orange zest and juice, simmered further.
- Cool and chill: Removed from heat, cooled, then refrigerated.
Honestly, this cranberry sauce was a hit. Served it with some turkey, and it was like a match made in heaven. Definitely making this again for the next holiday dinner. It’s so easy and so much better than the canned stuff!
Post Comment