Homemade cranberry sauce with red pepper flakes is so simple to prepare and it’s mostly prepared during holidays. I prefer fresh cranberries for the sauce, but if you are not having fresh you can use frozen berries too. Cranberries are tart, so add sugar. The secret ingredient I added was some crushed red pepper which was different and tasted awesome.
Cranberry sauce is usually prepared during Thanksgiving, I missed that but In Canada and United Kingdom they prepare for Christmas dinner. With heavy meals, the tart in the cranberry helps you to balance the taste and put the good bacteria into your digestive system.
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Food for the thought
“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”
― Robert A. Heinlein
Benefits of the ingredients (source)
Cranberry they are a superfood due to their high nutrient and antioxidant content. Cranberries are a rich source of several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C.
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Steps for preparing cranberry sauce
- Combine orange juice, cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, red chili flakes, water, a pinch of salt in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Switch it off and add lemon juice and give a stir. Once cool, store in an airtight container.
Variations
- You can cook the cranberries in water. If you want more of orange flavor cook the entire cranberries in orange juice.
- Add any spice like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg.
- If using maple syrup ; for 1 cup of sugar use 1/2 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup sugar.
- Avoid red chili flakes if you do not want to.
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Questions/Tips
Is cranberry sauce, sweet or sour?
Cranberry sauce should not be sweet or sour. It should have a balance between sweet, sour, tart, salty, and a hint of spice.
Can I add maple syrup instead of sugar?
Yes, you can. But only with maple syrup, the texture of the cranberry sauce maybe not be the same as sugar. When sugar melts and keeps boiling it changes its consistency according to the time cooked and temperature. If you cannot eat sugar then go for maple syrup or I would suggest splitting a cup into half sugar and half maple syrup.
Why is my cranberry sauce is too thick/thin?
If your cranberry sauce is too thick, then you would have probably cooked more than mentioned. Add more water and allow to boil for a few seconds and switch it off.
If your cranberry is too thin, you have to put it on the stove for more time to get thickened or you would have reduced the sugar quantity.
How can I use my cranberry sauce?
Cranberry sauce can be used in numerous ways. It can be used on pancakes, oatmeal, waffles, side with any meals, smoothies, bread toast,…
Can I use frozen cranberries for preparing sauce?
I prefer fresh cranberries for the sauce but you can use frozen too.
My sauce is too sour, What can I do?
Add more sugar and allow it to cook until sugar melts and get thick. Balance with more salt, red chili flakes.
Why do we add chiliflakes to the cranberry sauce?
This gives an excellent taste to the sauce. Believe me, try adding red chili flakes or paprika you will fall for it.
Meal prep/ How to store
You can prepare the cranberry sauce ahead. You can refrigerate for a week. It can be kept in the freezer for a longer time. To thaw refrigerate it overnight and warm in the microwave and serve.
Recipe card for cranberry sauce
Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 cups cranberries
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- In a saucepan add cranberries, sugar, orange juice, water, salt, cinnamon stick, red pepper flakes.
- Bring to boil in a medium flame, and allow to cook till cranberries burst.
- Switch off when the sauce thickens. It will take 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and stir well.
- Once cooled the sauce will thicken.