Homemade cranberry sauce recipe full of fresh juicy berries and flavoured with spicy nutmeg. A great homemade Christmas gift and the perfect condiment for Christmas day dinner. A simple and delicious sauce that only takes 45 minutes to make and jar up.
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👩🏻🍳 Why make this recipe
Not only is the best sauce to serve up on Christmas Day but it also makes for a pretty good Christmas present. With little jars at the ready and a few tags this easy homemade cranberry sauce recipe can quickly be turned into a great homemade foodie gift.
🥘 Ingredients
This recipe makes 10 small jars (110ml/4fl oz) or 6 large jars (225ml/8fl oz) of sauce. To make homemade cranberry sauce you will need:
Ingredient notes
Measurements: For the amounts required, see the recipe card below and use the toggle button to see the recipe in cups.
Cranberries: Use fresh cranberries
Muscavado sugar: Muscovado sugar is a coarse, unrefined, dark brown sugar. It contains natural molasses and has a toffee-like taste, which balances out the tart cranberries. The next best alternative is dark brown sugar. However, this has less molasses and so a milder taste.
Apples: Use baking apples, which cook down into a smooth puree and so are the best option for a sauce.
Ground nutmeg: This is optional but I like to add this for a hint of festive spice.
🔪 Step by step instructions
- Peel and chop the apples and squeeze the juice out of half an orange.
- Place all the ingredients in one large pan, mix well and put on the hob on a medium heat.
- Bring to the boil then allow to simmer gently.
- Simmer for 30 minutes or until apples are soft and cranberries have burst.
- After 30 minutes use a masher to help mush down any larger pieces of apple or un-burst berries. Continue to simmer, allowing the liquid to reduce, until you are happy with the consistency.
- Transfer the hot cranberry sauce to sterilised jars. Screw the lids on right away so a tight vacuum seal will form as the sauce cools.
- If you plan to eat the sauce that day or week then once the sauce has cooled, transfer to a dish or container, cover and keep the fridge until needed.
💭 Expert tips
- Consistency: Cranberry sauce should have a jam like consistency. The sauce will thicken and become jam like as the cranberries are heated and release pectin. Be aware that as the sauce cools it will become thicker. Therefore, stop heating the sauce when it is still slightly thinner than you would like.
- Handling hot sterilised jars: For ease, use rubber gloves for handling hot jars and to ensure a tight grip when screwing on the lids.
❓ Frequently asked questions
To sterilise the jars wash them thoroughly in soapy hot water, then rinse and place on a baking tray in the oven for 5 minutes at 150°C/300°F (until dry). Alternatively, put them through the dishwasher.
Place hot cranberry sauce in hot sterilised jars (use a jam funnel for ease) and seal immediately by screwing on the lid. As the sauce cools a vacuum will form, pulling the lid in nice and tight.
You can check the seal of the jars by pressing on the lid to make sure it doesn’t depress any further. Jars of cranberry sauce can then be stored in the cupboard for up to 6 months. If the lid does depress and a seal hasn’t formed you will need to use a water bath to ensure proper processing or alternatively store in the fridge for 4-6 weeks. Once opened, after proper sealing, refrigerate and eat within 1 month.
Cranberry sauce is a balance between sweet from the sugar and tart from the cranberries. Tartness can be reduced by the addition of sweet juices such as apple or orange juice.
Other Christmas recipe ideas
- Christmas soup: celeriac and potato soup
- Spiced pear and cider chutney
- Fig and apple chutney
- Baileys Irish cream with coffee
- How to Roast Chestnuts
- Easy Christmas Cake Recipe
- Christmas Cake Muffins
- Roast Chicken
- Honey Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
- Honey Glazed Prawns Starter
If you've tried this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a star rating in the recipe card or comment section below. I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram or Sign up to my email list!
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Masher
- Jam funnel and jam jars (if jarring)
Ingredients
- 600 g cranberries
- 400 g baking apples cored peeled and chopped
- 400 g light brown muscavado sugar
- Juice from ½ an orange
- 250 ml water
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Peel and chop the apples and squeeze the juice out of half an orange.400 g baking apples, Juice from ½ an orange
- Place all the ingredients in one large pan, mix well and put on the hob on a medium heat.600 g cranberries, 400 g baking apples, 400 g light brown muscavado sugar, Juice from ½ an orange, 250 ml water, 1 ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Bring to the boil then allow to simmer gently.
- Simmer for 30 minutes or until apples are soft and cranberries have burst.
- After 30 minutes use a masher to help mush down any larger pieces of apple or un-burst berries. Continue to simmer, allowing the liquid to reduce, until you are happy with the consistency.
- Transfer the hot cranberry sauce to sterilised jars. Screw the lids on right away so a tight vacuum seal will form as the sauce cools.
- If you plan to eat the sauce that day or week then once the sauce has cooled, transfer to a dish or container, cover and keep the fridge until needed.
Nutrition
Notes
Consistency: Cranberry sauce should have a jam like consistency. The sauce will thicken and become jam like as the cranberries are heated and release pectin. Be aware that as the sauce cools it will become thicker. Therefore, stop heating the sauce when it is still slightly thinner than you would like. Handling hot sterilised jars: For ease, use rubber gloves for handling hot jars and to ensure a tight grip when screwing on the lids. How do you sterilise jars? To sterilise the jars wash them thoroughly in soapy hot water, then rinse and place on a baking tray in the oven for 5 minutes at 150°C/300°F (until dry). Alternatively, put them through the dishwasher. How to seal the jars? Place hot cranberry sauce in hot sterilised jars (use a jam funnel for ease) and seal immediately by screwing on the lid. As the sauce cools a vacuum will form, pulling the lid in nice and tight. How to store? You can check the seal of the jars by pressing on the lid to make sure it doesn’t depress any further. Jars of cranberry sauce can then be stored in the cupboard for up to 6 months. If the lid does depress and a seal hasn’t formed you will need to use a water bath to ensure proper processing or alternatively store in the fridge for 4-6 weeks. Once opened, after proper sealing, refrigerate and eat within 1 month. Is cranberry sauce meant to be sweet or sour? Cranberry sauce is a balance between sweet from the sugar and tart from the cranberries. Tartness can be reduced by the addition of sweet juices such as apple or orange juice.
This post was first published in Dec 2016. Updated in Dec 2021 with new images, step by step instructions and expert tips.
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Julie
Oh Christmas is definitely not Christmas without cranberry sauce, I couldn't agree more. Your recipe sounds wonderful with the addition of apple and nutmeg. Commenting as BritMums baking Round-up Editor.
Debbie
Thank you Julie!! Yes I cant go back to just plain old cranberry now - at the very least it has to have a dash of nutmeg in there 🙂