Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Inside: The secret to my whole-berry cranberry sauce is cooking the berries in spiced mulled wine syrup. It’s a quick, 15-minute recipe that can be made up to a week in advance.
Want the best jellied cranberry sauce? This is it. My recipe uses fresh cranberries, granulated sugar, whole spices, and your choice of red zinfandel, Malbec, or cabernet sauvignon for a cross between whole berry cranberry sauce and mulled red wine. Best of all, it’s ready in just 15 minutes.
This holiday, it’s time to up your jellied cranberry sauce game. No more tin cans of processed, sliceable gelée. No more boring blend of plain cranberries and sugar and no more tannic raw cranberry relish that leaves a chalky feeling on your tongue.
We can do better. This recipe is a notch above. With a sweet, spiced red syrup that will remind you of mulled wine and fresh, whole cranberries simmered in the syrup until the berries just pop.
This is the Thanksgiving cranberry sauce that my family requests every year for Thanksgiving dinner. Once you try it, you’ll insist on having it too.
Serve it with Roasted Turkey with Bourbon Turkey Brine or my popular Spatchcock Grilled Turkey, Baked Ham Shank Recipe or grilled pork chops with a simple Pork Chop Brine for a festive delicious meal with a holiday vibe.
Why this recipe works:
- Instead of water (the usual liquid for making this sauce), this one uses a drinkable red wine for more flavor (without a boozy taste, promise).
- Simmering wine, sugar and mulling spices creates an aroma that naturally puts you in the holiday spirit.
- As it simmers, the wine becomes a heavenly syrup to cook the cranberries, which is way more flavorful than plain water.
- Cranberries have a lot of pectin, a natural thickener. The cranberries burst as they simmer in the syrup, releasing the pectin and becoming pudgy and gelatinous as it cools.
- You can make this recipe up to a week ahead of time, so it’s terrific for holiday meal prep.
- This fruity compote goes well with traditional Thanksgiving recipes as well as a weeknight chicken, pork chops and ham.
Ingredients:
- Red Wine–I prefer a Red Zinfandel, Malbec or Syrah for making whole-berry cranberry sauce. They have a natural spice that pairs well with the whole spices in the mulled wine syrup. You don’t need to use a costly bottle, just something drinkable – I usually go with something under $10.
- White Sugar–plain granulated sugar adds a pure, unadulterated sweet flavor to let the fruit shine through.
- Whole Cloves–are very intense in aroma and flavor. Using whole cloves imparts those qualities without overpowering the recipe. Do not use ground cloves.
- Whole Allspice Berries–with the flavor of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in one spice, allspice is a powerhouse spice. Ground spice would be too intense, so use the whole berries to mull the wine syrup.
- Cinnamon Sticks–Cinnamon sticks give the holiday aroma to this homemade cranberry sauce, don’t skip it — but don’t use ground spice either.
- Whole Star Anise–an aromatic, licorice-flavored spice- elevates the flavor of the compote.
- Orange Peel–citrus holds much of its flavor and aromas in the peel itself. Use a vegetable peeler to render a strip of the orange peel–avoid the white pith, as that’s the bitter part of the orange.
- Fresh Cranberries–I used a bag of Ocean Spray cranberries, organic fruit, or frozen cranberries. Don’t use dried cranberries in this sauce; it won’t work.
Instructions:
- Combine the granulated sugar, allspice berries, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and star anise in a large saucepan.
2. Add the red wine to the spices and sugar.
3 Bring the wine to a boil and add a strip of orange peel (avoid the white pith as it’s bitter).
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the syrup thickens and reduces. As the wine and sugar simmer, the bubbles will get bigger and tighter, indicating that the mixture is getting syrupy.
5. Strain the solids through a fine-mesh sieve, checking the pot to ensure that no small spices remain.
6. Return the syrup to the pot and bring to a simmer; then add the whole cranberries to the sauce.
7. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the berries pop. Set aside to cool the jellied cranberry sauce to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container to refrigerate. The mixture will thicken further as it chills.
Pro-Tips:
- Though you may be tempted to use ground spices in this recipe, don’t. The ground spices will leave a gritty texture, and the flavors will overpower it.
- Be sure to use one strip of orange peel instead of orange zest. Finely grated orange zest can sneak through a sieve and mar the texture of the compote.
- Use a mesh strainer to remove the whole spices — though it’s easy to pick out the whole cinnamon sticks and orange peel, the cloves and allspice berries are tiny in size but very potent. Inadvertently biting into one left in the jellied compote is a surprise you don’t want.
- Chill it thoroughly in the refrigerator, allowing the natural pectin in the berries to thicken the mixture naturally.
Swaps and variations:
- Add a bit (about ¼ cup) of fresh-squeezed orange juice for a little more citrus flavor.
- For a New England flair, substitute maple syrup for the white sugar.
- Add a 2″ slice of fresh ginger to the sugar and wine mixture for more spice and tingle. Strain it out before adding the fruit.
- For more yin/yan flavor, add a few pinches of sea salt just before adding the cranberries. Just a touch can deepen the flavors.
Make Ahead:
- You can make this recipe up to a week ahead of Thanksgiving. I normally make it on Saturday or Sunday before.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing:
- This cranberry sauce recipe freezes well for up to 3 months for longer storage—Defrost before using.
FAQs:
Do not heat the cranberry sauce before serving; otherwise, you’ll lose the jelled consistency. It can be served chilled or at room temperature.
The sauce is cooked, while the relish is served raw.
The canned varieties can have a tinny flavor and slurp from the can holding the same shape. The flavors taste more sour than sweet, and it’s not nearly as good as homemade.
We rarely have leftovers, but here are a few ways to use them if you have a bit remaining.
What to do with leftover cranberry sauce:
- Spread a spoonful of jellied cranberry sauce on your leftover turkey sandwiches.
- Swirl leftovers into your morning yogurt with a sprinkle of Maple Pecan Cinnamon granola.
- Make crostini appetizers by topping baked French bread rounds with a slice of brie or camembert and a spoonful of the sauce. These will fly off your holiday buffet.
- Make this Cranberry Coffee Cake.
- Make a grilled cheese sandwich with sourdough bread, white cheddar cheese and a generous spread of the fruity compote.
This recipe is super easy to assemble in just a few minutes, and the flavors are superior to any other Thanksgiving cranberry sauce; You HAVE to make it. No excuses,
More fruity sides and sauces you’ll love:
- McIntosh Applesauce
- Pineapple Chutney
- Pineapple Mango Salsa
- Apple Cranberry Sauce
- Mango Ginger Chutney
- Fresh Peach Salsa
- Curried Apple Walnut Chutney
Jellied Cranberry Sauce
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1½ cups red wine make sure it's one you'd like to drink.
- 1¼ cups white sugar
- 6 whole cloves
- 6 whole allspice berries
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 3×1 inch strip orange or tangerine peel I used tangerine
- 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine 1¼ cups white sugar, 6 whole cloves, 6 whole allspice berries, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 whole star anise, 1 3×1 inch strip orange or tangerine peel, and 1½ cups red wine in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup has reduced to about 1¾ cups — about 8-10 minutes.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a 2-cup measuring cup and strain the solids from the syrup. Discard the whole spices and pour the syrup back into the pot.
- Add 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries and cook over medium-high heat, occasionally stirring, until the cranberries burst, about five or six minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before transferring to a storage container and refrigerating until ready to serve. The sauce will thicken as it chills.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!
Made this and one other from a popular chef for a taste test before thanksgiving. This one won hands down after my husband picked this sauce as far better ( he was stunned it beat the other! ). Great taste, special! Thank you Lisa!
BF is very excited to use this recipe this year! He always makes the cranberry sauce & wants a new twist this year. Can’t wait to taste
I’m planning my Thanksgiving meal and came back to this recipe after making it last year so I could add the ingredients to my shopping list-and realized I’d never left a comment. This cranberry sauce is AH-MAY-ZING!!!! I’d never made homemade cranberry sauce before. It was super easy and it was a big hit with my family! We ate it with almost everything after turkey day was over. I can’t wait to make it again this year!
So I have never been a fan of cranberry sauce, but I have never seen a version quite like this! It looks amazing with that red wine and those all spice berries! Holy yumminess!
I agree Lisa..people are picky about cranberry sauce. Growing up we had the stuff in the can too. I’m loving the sound of your recipe especially with the wine addition.
I know I’m not converting those can-loving people with this, but…
Lisa this is my kind of cranberry sauce. My in-laws used to serve it out of the can and I always loved the fresh berries because they had so much more flavor. I have a triple orange cranberry sauce that is very similar to your recipe. Absolutely necessary for Thanksgiving.
Ooh — triple orange cranberry? Let me guess – orange juice, orange zest and Grand Marnier?
I would love to try a fresh cranberry one day, but you never see them in Australia. I love the use of spice and wine in your recipe, I will have to give it a go with some frozen ones, I am sure it will be tasty, but probably not as good as your beautiful sauce!
I didn’t know you don’t have fresh cranberries in Australia – the frozen ones will work just fine for this recipe!
I love the new look of the web! This looks so delish! I love how you always have a backstory to your recipes. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Yined! I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving, too!
I’m really liking the use of wine in the recipe! 🙂
Love spiced orange cranberry sauce! Adding red wine only makes it better!
Glad you approve, Linda! Yes – the wine makes it even better!
This is the poster for cranberry sauce and looks fabulous. And I’m wondering why I’ve never used wine before? I’ll be trying this.
I know — wine just makes sense, doesn’t it?
I love the way that you think. This is a super recipe for Thanksgiving, or later with a side of leftover turkey! Love the spice and wine ingredients.
It’s really good with roast pork too!
Love your Cranberry Sauce and your trip down memory lane. I really should make an effort to make my own more often. We have Ocean Spray Cranberry sauce here in the UK but it comes in jars not a can:-)
I can honestly say– I’ve never tried it!
I’ve never been a fan of cranberry sauce but you got my attention with the addition of wine! 7 Deadly Zins is one of my favs so I’m willing to give this recipe a try – thanks for sharing.