Whole Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Spice
Nothing says the holidays like this homemade whole cranberry sauce with orange and spice does.
Homemade whole cranberry sauce is so easy to make and it’s such a beautiful festive side dish to add to the holiday dinner table.
Cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and star anise spice up this cranberry sauce along with the wonderful flavor of orange zest.
About Serving
It’s interesting how sometimes different serving dishes can give food a different vibe.
The deep ruby red color of cranberry sauce is so pretty that I like to “decorate the table” with it by serving it in different types of dishes depending on the table setting I use.
Cranberry sauce in white, black or clear glass serving dishes are a nice contrast with the deep red color of the cranberries.
After the step-by-step instructions below, I included some pictures of a variety of serving dishes with cranberry sauce in them for inspiration.
Let’s check out the ingredients.
Fresh cranberries, zest from an orange, sugar, water, star anise, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, cheesecloth, cooking twine…
…and since I forgot to add them above, the whole allspice berries
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.
For the Sachet of Spices:
Cut a piece of cooking twine that’s about 5 inches long.
Set aside.
Cut a piece of cheese cloth that’s about 5 inches by 5 inches.
In the center, add the cinnamon sticks,
star anise,
whole allspice,
and whole cloves.
Then,
gather all 4 sides of the cheesecloth together…
…and tie the string to make a sachet.
Cut off the excess pieces of string and set the sachet aside for a moment.
For the Cranberry Sauce:
Heat a medium size pan on medium heat.
Add the water,
sugar,
and the sachet.
Stir.
When the water comes to a boil,
add the cranberries and…
…stir.
Cook until the cranberries begin to pop (about 5 minutes).
Remove the pan from the heat…
…then
…stir in the orange zest…
…and cool. If you have the time, refrigerate 1 to 3 days before serving (with the spice sachet).
If not, let the cranberries cook a little bit longer until the desired consistency is reached (about 4 or 5 minutes).
Continuously stir as it’s cooking.
Stir in the orange zest and let cool.
Chill in the fridge (with the spice sachet still in the mixture).
Remove the spice sachet before serving.
Serving Dish Inspiration
Cranberries in white….
…a white bowl really sets off the beautiful color of the cranberry sauce.
Cranberries in black…black is such a nice contrast with dark red color.
How about a dish that sparkles like a glass candy dish…it makes the cranberry sauce look so festive.
A banana split glass serving dish really shows off this pretty cranberry sauce…like it’s in a picture frame.
For as long as I can remember, my grandmother served cranberry sauce in a banana split glass dish.
So, of course my holiday dinner table won’t be without cranberry sauce in a clear banana split serving dish. Little traditions are the best.
A martini glass adds height to the dinner table and accents the beautiful color of the cranberry sauce.
Recipe adapted from Mom Parsons cranberries from the Los Angeles Times
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Whole Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Spice
Ingredients
For the Sachet of Spices:
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
- 1 star anise
For the Cranberry Sauce:
- 3/4 cup water
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
- Zest from 1 orange
Instructions
For the Sachet of Spices:
- Cut a piece of cooking twine that’s about 5 inches long. Set aside. Cut a piece of cheese cloth that’s about 5 inches by 5 inches. In the center, add the cinnamon sticks, whole allspice, whole cloves, and star anise.
- Gather all 4 sides of the cheesecloth together and tie the string to make a sachet. Cut off the excess pieces of string and set aside for a moment.
For the Cranberry Sauce:
- Heat a medium size pan on medium heat.
- Add the water, sugar, and the sachet of spices. Stir. When the water comes to a boil, add the cranberries and stir.
- Cook until the cranberries begin to pop (about 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat, add the orange zest and cool.
- If you have the time, refrigerate 1 to 3 days before serving. If not, let the cranberries cook a little longer until the desired consistency is reached (about 4 to 5 minutes). Continuously stir as it’s cooking. Stir in the orange zest and let cool to room temperature.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and remove the sachet before serving.
Recipe adapted from Mom Parsons' cranberries from the Los Angeles Times
Recipe to Make with Leftover Cranberry Sauce
If by chance, there are any leftovers, here’s a delicious recipe using cranberry sauce you may like “Cranberry Sauce and Blueberry Galette“.
Recipes with Cranberries
Here are more recipes with cranberries…”Turkey, Cranberry and Cream Cheese Pecan Wrap“, “Lemonade Cranberry Sauce” and “Limeade, Cranberry and Blackberry Compote“.
Holiday Recipes
More Thanksgiving and Christmas Recipes:
How to Make Turkey Gravy from Pan Drippings
Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
Comfort Food Recipes
Comfort Food Recipes you may like:
Candied Yams (Sweet Potatoes) with Pecans and Marshmallows
Candied Sweet Potatoes (Canned Yams), with Walnuts and Marshmallows
Baked Herb and Parmesan Potato Slices
Biscoff Cookie Butter Blondie Brownies
