Make Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce From Scratch: This Easy Recipe Will Impress Your Guests

Make Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce From Scratch: This Easy Recipe Will Impress Your Guests
Make Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce From Scratch: This Easy Recipe Will Impress Your Guests

Okay, so I decided to try my hand at making cranberry sauce, specifically that jellied kind you see from Ocean Spray. I always loved that stuff as a kid, and figured, how hard could it be, right? Turns out, it’s not too tough, but there are a few things I learned along the way.

First off, I grabbed a bag of fresh cranberries from the grocery store. They were pretty cheap, which was a good start. I also picked up some sugar, ’cause you definitely need that for this recipe. And then, I just needed some water. That’s it! Only three ingredients. Simple enough, I thought.

I got home and started by washing the cranberries. They were all shiny and red, looked kinda pretty in the colander. Then, I put them in a pot with some water, just like the instructions I found online said. I turned the heat on medium and started stirring. It was a bit boring at first, just waiting for it to boil.

Make Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce From Scratch: This Easy Recipe Will Impress Your Guests

After a while, the cranberries started to pop! It was actually kind of fun to watch. They made these little popping sounds, and the sauce started to thicken up. I kept stirring, making sure it didn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. At this point, I added the sugar, and oh boy, did that make a difference. The smell was amazing, all sweet and tart.

Here’s what I did, step-by-step:

  • Washed the cranberries.
  • Put them in a pot with water.
  • Boiled them until they started popping.
  • Stirred in the sugar.
  • Kept cooking and stirring until it got thick.

Once it was thick enough, which took about 10-15 minutes, I took it off the heat. Now, here’s where I messed up a little. I didn’t have a mold or anything, so I just poured it into a bowl. I figured it would set up in there, like Jell-O. I put it in the fridge and waited. And waited. And waited some more. It took a few hours, but it did finally set!

When I took it out, it wasn’t perfectly shaped like the can, obviously. But it was definitely jellied! I scooped some out, and it tasted pretty darn close to the Ocean Spray stuff. Maybe a little more tart, but in a good way. I was pretty proud of myself, to be honest. It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely edible, and I’d totally make it again.

Next time, I think I’ll try to find a mold. Or maybe I’ll just use an empty can, like some people suggested online. That would be cool, right? Get that classic cylinder shape. Anyway, it was a fun little experiment, and I’m glad I tried it. Cranberry sauce from scratch, who knew?

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