Daniel's Killer Cranberry Sauce

Chef's notes#

Nothing makes me sadder than showing up to a Thanksgiving table and seeing cans of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce, still molded in the shape of the can, just sitting there in a bowl. Why do this to your relatives, when in under an hour, you can make the best cranberry sauce in the world?

Here's how I do it.

My first secret ingredient has always been crushed pineapple. Those who know me know I hate pineapple when it's on pizza (It's wet, it's sweet, it just doesn't work!), but in cranberry sauce, it's absolute perfection. It serves two purposes. First, it's naturally sweet, so it substitutes for some of the added sugar. Second, a single can contains a full cup of liquid, so you can use it in place of water.

My other secret ingredient is cloves. I add this to the cinnamon to push the flavor over the edge. It really binds everthing together. A lot of cranberry sauce recipes don't call for vanilla extract, but I make my own, and it's one of the best flavor enhancers you can use in your holiday cooking.

If your family doesn't come back asking for more every year, I'll be shocked.

Details#

• ⏲️ Prep time: 15
• 🍳 Cook time: 40
• 🍽️ Servings: 8

Ingredients#

• 2 12oz bags of fresh (or frozen) cranberries
• 1 20oz can of crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup of orange juice
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup of light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of powdered cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Directions#

1. Rinse the cranberries and place them into a medium size pot on the stove.
2. Zest 1 large orange to yield 1 tablespoon of zest. Use a box grater if you don't have a microplane. Do this before slicing the oranges to juice them.
3. Slice 2 oranges and juice them to yield roughly 1 cup of juice. Supplement with water if necessary to get 1 cup of liquid.
4. Pour the can of crushed pineapple including all the juice into the pot. One 20 oz. can contains about 1 full cup of liquid.
5. Add the remaining liquid (orange juice + optional water) to the pot.
6. Add the sugars and cook at medium heat for about 20-30 minutes until the mixture comes to a simmer.
7. Stir frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom for. The cranberries will begin to pop and release their flavor.
8. After all of the cranberries have opened, reduce to low heat.
9. Add the orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, and cinnamon sticks to the pot.
10. Allow the cranberry sauce to continue simmering for 10-15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Remove from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools. It should glisten with a deep, rich, red color.
12. Store at room temperature if serving, or refrigerate if preparing ahead of time. Remove the cinnamon sticks just before serving.