Spoon out a little taste of the holidays with this canned cranberry sauce.
My grandmother was always the queen of the holidays. She would spend hours in the kitchen cooking and preparing a myriad of dishes and desserts. One of her specialties was her cranberry sauce. It was incredibly delicious and a family favorite. The only trouble was how long it took to make. With this recipe for canned cranberry sauce, you can take a regular can of cranberry sauce and turn it into something magical. Plus, you can do it in a fraction of the time it took Nana to make hers.
This canned cranberry sauce is sweet and tangy with the perfect hint of cinnamon and citrus. It has all of the wonderful homemade flavors of Grandma’s recipe that the whole family has grown to love. This classic comfort side is a staple on our table all year round and is loved by both kids and adults. It’s sure to brighten up any meal, not just the ones during the holidays.
A brief history of canned cranberries.
Today, canned cranberry sauce can be found at grocery stores and markets across America all year long. That wasn’t always the case, however. It wasn’t until 1912 that a man by the name of Marcus Urann changed all that. Marcus was a lawyer who gave up his life in law to become a cranberry grower. It was at the end of one of the growing seasons, and he was looking for a way to use the extra cranberries and the ones that didn’t look perfect.
He decided to puree and can these leftover berries so he could enjoy them all year round. By 1941, his company was distributing canned cranberry sauce across the country. The company he started is called Ocean Spray, which is still around today. They are now the number one producer of canned cranberry sauce in the world, with more than 70 million cans produced every year. Each can is said to have over 200 berries in it.
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
How to Make Canned Cranberry Sauce
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, combine the canned whole berry cranberry sauce, orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon.
Step 2: Stir the mixture over medium heat until well combined and the sugar has dissolved.
Step 3: Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and to ensure flavors meld together.
Step 4: Once the sauce has thickened slightly and is fragrant, remove from heat.
Step 5: Let the sauce cool for a few minutes before serving, or chill in the refrigerator if you prefer it cold.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
This recipe for canned cranberry sauce is wonderful when made ahead of time; this gives all the flavors a chance to marry. The cranberry sauce will last at least five days in the fridge in an airtight container, but at our house, it gets eaten long before it ever has a chance to expire.
Tips for a silky smooth sauce.
At every table, you are going to have people who love the sauce with chunks and those who prefer it smooth. If you are one of those in the latter category, then I have a simple and easy solution. When you have finished cooking your canned cranberry sauce, you can toss it in a blender and puree the mix until it has an even consistency.
If you want to take it a step further, you can run the puréed mixture through a fine mesh strainer. The result is a silky smooth cranberry sauce with all of the flavor and none of the lumps.
Breakfast Tip.
This canned cranberry sauce makes an excellent topping for pancakes and waffles. In a shallow pan, add one cup of the cranberry sauce and two tablespoons of water or orange juice. Next, heat the mixture over low heat until the sauce melts and becomes liquid again. Take the melted sauce, spoon it over your favorite pancake or waffle, and watch your guests smile with excitement.
Serving Suggestions
This canned cranberry sauce is always a great holiday staple, as I mentioned earlier, and it is excellent on the table all year round. Plus, it goes well with almost any meal: breakfast, lunch or dinner. I even love to eat it just by itself as an afternoon snack or for those late-night sweet tooth cravings. If you are looking for other recipes to help curb that sweet tooth, then I would have to recommend this tasty Rice Pudding or these Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. If you are looking for a super easy and delicious dessert, then this Vanilla Mug Cake is perfect. It can be made in just a couple of minutes in your favorite mug and it cooks in the microwave for only a couple minutes.
Canned Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the canned whole berry cranberry sauce, orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon.
- Stir the mixture over medium heat until well combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and to ensure flavors meld together.
- Once the sauce has thickened slightly and is fragrant, remove from heat.
- Let the sauce cool for a few minutes before serving, or chill in the refrigerator if you prefer it cold.
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