Holiday Recipe: Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce

I have never had canned, processed cranberry sauce. I’ve seen it slide in a can-shaped lump into a serving bowl, get mushed around, and presented beside the holiday bird, but I’ve never tried it. Hmmm, I wonder why? For many years I thought I just didn’t like cranberry sauce. The idea of that bright red weird-looking jelly on turkey just did not appeal. Until the day I had HOMEMADE cranberry sauce.

It was like my world opened up. I discovered the most delightful tartness to compliment a salty buttery main dish. So began my experimentation of recipes to further elevate the bouncy red berries (did you know that cranberries bounce when they are ripe?).

Last year I shared my recipe for Bourbon Cranberry Sauce recipe. I was tempted to make this again this year, but I had a taste for something different. With the addition of ginger and orange the cranberries really sing. So much so that my husband and I polished off a jar with a roast chicken! The grated ginger adds heat and the candied ginger adds a sweet element, perfect to complement the fragrant orange and tart cranberries.

This recipe is great for canning as there is a lot of natural pectin in cranberries to make the sauce quite thick. This is a large batch that will make 16-18 x 1 cup jars. I made two different sizes–small family and large family sizes–as once opened it will only last in the fridge for a week or so.

Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce

• 8 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups sugar
• Zest and juice of one orange
• 2 thumbs fresh ginger peeled and finely grated
• 1 cup chopped candied ginger

Directions:
Boil the water and sugar together. Stir to dissolve the sugar to ensure it doesn’t sit at the bottom of the pot and burn.
Add 6 cups cranberries, grated ginger, and orange juice and cook on medium until the berries burst (about 15 minutes).

Add the remaining 2 cups of cranberries and the chopped candied ginger, then stir. Bring back to a boil and then reduce to medium to cook for 10 minutes or until you have the consistency you like.

Ladle into clean, hot, 1-cup canning jars. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

I decorated my jars for gifts with a festive custom label in Mai Li style.

Used In This Project:

• 2″ Circle Labels • I chose the “Mai Li” style in Red.
• 2.5″ Circle Labels • I chose the “Mai Li” style in Red.

More homemade gift ideas from Stephanie:

Bourbon Cranberry Sauce	Christmas Morning Granola	Soy Tin Candles	Caramelized Balsamic Figs

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Stephanie Rose (118 Posts)

Stephanie Rose is a gardener who lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada, where she has grown over 100 edibles, 400 perennials, and countless other plants in her small urban yard; a hobby that continues to grow with each season. Stephanie writes DIY garden projects, yummy recipes and crafty goodness at Garden Therapy where she hopes you will find something to inspire you to get outside for a little, well, garden therapy.