I have something that’s going to look good on your Thanksgiving table.

Let’s just talk about canned cranberry sauce for a second. First of all, it’s boring. It has high fructose corn syrup. And there’s really no good way to make the slabs of cranberry look pretty on a plate. This Thanksgiving, try switching up your cranberry sauce and go homemade!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 small or 1 large bag of organic cranberries
• 1 orange, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 3 pieces of the orange peel
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp raisins

Directions

Pour all ingredients into a pot on the stove. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until the cranberries break down and create a jelly or relish like substance. Let cool before removing the orange peel. Pour mixture into a bowl, and serve!

I got the idea for this recipe from my friend Dawn who makes this every Thanksgiving. Tim and I adapted it for our Friendsgiving get together at Slesh and Will’s apartment on Sunday. I liked making a homemade cranberry sauce because I could control the sugar sources that went into it. Plus, it’s a little more impressive than your regular old canned jellied version (fresh is best) while still being really simple to make. The tartness of the cranberries paired well with the hints of orange and honey, and having a tart dish on Thanksgiving helps clear out some of the heavier dishes/flavors like gravy and stuffing.

Hope you’ll try it!

–Let’s chat–
Cranberry sauce: Homemade or canned? Any variations of homemade you want to share?