Why is my cranberry sauce still runny after chilling overnight?

It almost always means the pan came off the heat before enough berries burst, so the pectin never fully released. Scrape the sauce back into a pan, simmer it gently for 2 to 3 minutes until more berries pop, then chill it again. It will set on the second cooling.

Can I make cranberry sauce with frozen cranberries without thawing them?

Yes, and it is the easiest way. Add the frozen berries straight to the simmering liquid exactly as written and give them 1 to 2 extra minutes, since they start colder. There is no need to thaw them first, and thawed berries actually pop less cleanly.

My cranberry sauce tastes too tart. How do I fix it without ruining the set?

Stir in granulated sugar one tablespoon at a time while the sauce is warm, tasting after each addition, or fold in a spoonful of honey once it has cooled. Add the sweetener before the final chill whenever you can, because stirring a fully set sauce breaks its smooth texture.

How do I get a firm, sliceable jellied cranberry sauce instead of a spoonable one?

Cook the sauce 2 minutes longer, until nearly all the berries have burst, then press it through a fine mesh strainer while hot and pour it into a mold or a straight sided jar. Chill it overnight. More burst berries and no whole fruit means a firmer, cleaner set.

Can I reduce the sugar in this cranberry sauce?

You can drop the total sugar to about 3/4 cup before the tartness takes over, but do not go lower: sugar is part of the setting system, not just the flavor, and a very low sugar batch stays loose. If you reduce it, taste at the end and sharpen the orange zest rather than adding sweetener back.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce With Orange And Cinnamon

Ingredients

Scale

12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, about 3 cups, picked over and rinsed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice, about 2 oranges
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Pick over the cranberries and discard any that are soft, shriveled or pale. Rinse the rest in a colander and drain well. If the berries are frozen, use them straight from the freezer with no thawing.
Put the granulated sugar, brown sugar, orange juice and water in a medium saucepan. Set it over medium heat and stir for about 2 minutes, until both sugars have fully dissolved and the liquid is clear.
Add the cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon stick and salt. Raise the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil, listening for the first berries to pop.
Lower the heat to a lively simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until about three quarters of the berries have burst and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Leave the remaining berries whole for texture.
Take the pan off the heat. Fish out the cinnamon stick and stir in the vanilla extract. The sauce will look loose; that is correct, because it sets as it cools.
Pour the sauce into a serving bowl or glass jars. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until glossy and softly set.
Serve chilled or at room temperature, with a curl of orange zest on top if you like.

Author: Chef Jordan
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
Calories: 90
Sugar: 20
Sodium: 60
Fat: 0
Saturated Fat: 0
Unsaturated Fat: 0
Trans Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 23
Fiber: 2
Protein: 0
Cholesterol: 0