Cranberry sauce seem to only make their appearance during the holidays.  Bags and bags of fresh cranberries fill the grocery stores this time of year, along with prepared cranberry sauce and other “holiday only” fare like pumpkin pie filling and green bean casserole fixings. (*first published in 2011 – updated photos 11/12/17).

These fresh little hearty berries are sturdy enough to be surrounded by a candle or placed at the bottom of a vase, which is exactly what I’ve used them for.

I never really liked this little berry, until I started making my own cranberry sauce.

Cranberry sauce would be on my grocery list during the holidays, and year after year I would buy a can and put it on our Thanksgiving dinner table for anyone that wanted it, but I was very ambivalent.

I became quite amused watching the gel-like glop make it’s appearance, and took great efforts to keep my sauce intact by opening both ends of the can watching it slowly slither onto a plate.

There was something intriguing about those cylindrical canned designed ripples on the gel that kept me looking forward to the next year of can opening. Then, one year I paid closer attention when my mom made her delicious sauce, and I couldn’t believe how simple it was!

No candy thermometer or special cooling process needed! I finally learned that, besides adding color to candles or vases, which was all I ever used fresh berries for, this fruit’s purpose is to become a flavor filled ruby red side dish! I was reformed from being a yearly can opener, to becoming a fresh cranberry sauce maker!

It’s simple to make and you will love the way it tastes!

Yield: 2 cups

Easy Ruby Red Cranberry Sauce

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Easy Ruby Red Cranberry Sauce with orange and cinnamon spice. 

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup fruit juice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 12 ounce cranberries, fresh
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Wash the cranberries. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add the sugar and juice stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the cranberries and cook until the berries start to burst and begin to soften (close to 10 minutes). Remove from heat and add cinnamon. As the sauce cools, it will begin to thicken. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate.

Notes

I used Trader Joe's orange-strawberry banana juice, but orange or apple works well too.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1/4 cup
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 109 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 19mg Carbohydrates: 28g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 24g Protein: 0g

Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.