If you read my previous post – Cranberry Bread – you know I love cranberries with orange. Therefore it shouldn’t be surprising to see that my cranberry sauce is a lot of cranberries with a touch of orange.
Several years ago I tried a Triple Cranberry Sauce that used orange marmalade, orange juice, and orange zest. It was good, but TOO much orange in the sense that it competed with the cranberries. So with that recipe as inspiration, I started experimenting to come up with the perfect cranberry sauce for my and Bobby’s palettes. Well, here it is.
This cranberry sauce is tart and sweet with a little orange zest for the hint of orange I like so much. You get bites of whole berries from both the fresh berries and the dried berries. Like all cranberry sauces it does need to be made and refrigerated the night before so it can set up; however, this sauce doesn’t create a firm gel – it’s more of a whole berry sauce which is the way we like it.
Triple Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Yields about 3 to 4 cups
Prep and cook time: 20 to 25 minutes
Needs to sit in the refrigerator overnight
Ingredients
1 ½ cups cranberry juice (no sugar added)
2/3 cups sugar
1 – 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
½ cup dried cranberries
1 stick cinnamon
4 whole cloves
1 Tbsp. orange zest
Instructions
- Mix together the cranberry juice and sugar in a sauce pan over high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar as the liquid heats. Bring to a boil.
- Add the dried cranberries, fresh cranberries, cloves, and cinnamon. Bring back to a boil. Reduce heat for a simmer. Simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the orange zest. Simmer another 3 minutes.
- Remove cinnamon stick. Pour into a glass container and let cool. Transfer to refrigerator and let sit overnight or until ready to use.
Kitchen Notes
For the cranberry juice I use an unsweetened cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail.
If you want a little more orange flavor, you can substitute part of the cranberry juice with orange juice.
Our favorite uses for this cranberry sauce
- Turkey and cranberry sauce – of course.
- Cornbread dressing and cranberry sauce – that’s my favorite.
- Grilled sandwich with Dijon mustard, turkey, Monterey Jack cheese, and avocado. Once the sandwich is grilled, open it up and place a couple of tablespoons of the chilled cranberry sauce in the middle.
- Topping for grilled lamb chops or side for roasted Leg of Lamb (anything lamb)
- Topping or side for duck
- Cranberry oatmeal – really good with steel cut oatmeal (just add a little to your oatmeal)
- Buttered toast and cranberry sauce
- A topping for sauteed green beans and pecans
- Side for Turkey Tetrazzini
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I love cranberries and adding triple makes it sound so delicious!
It sounds like a triple delight! I love cranberry juice and jam, but use them so rarely… In fact it looks like you have made a sauce to accompany my today’s poultry pâté
Another way to use this – pate’! Sounds awesome!
What an interesting idea to use a combination of fresh and dried cranberries and I bet the cloves come through beautifully in this recipe as well. I enjoyed your favourite uses list – what a great idea to share this.
I made cranberry sauce for the first time at Thanksgiving this year. It wasn’t too bad, wish I had this recipe I really like the orange zest addition. Thanks for that idea I will make this again at Christmas. I have tons of oranges that are starting to ripen now for the zest. Have a great weekend.
I love the ingredients in this recipe. Great recipe.
HAHA when I saw this in my google reader I was like “triple cranberry??? Dried cranberries…fresh cranberries…what on earth could the last be?” Duh, cranberry juice! hahaha It’s been a long day. Great cranberry sauce recipe…orange is a must!
I bet it tasted wonderful with triple dose of cranberries! Have a great weekend ya…
Your note on how we can use cranberry sauce was very useful! I am still new to cranberry sauce so I would never think of using it for green beans. I also like the sandwich idea too!
I love cranberries, but it’s expensive in this part of the world.. so for now I can only gawk and drool.. good to know cranberry can be paired with lamb
MJ…I love the combo of cranberries and orange. The first time I made a Thanksgiving dinner by myself, I served a home made cranberry sauce in hollowed out orange cups. But actually, I like cranberries all year round. I eat lots of turkey sandwiches for my lunches and I love to spread on cranberry sauce instead of mayo. This just looks divine! : )
Putting the sauce in hollowed out orange cups sounds quite interesting! I’m with you – when I can find them, I’ll use cranberries any time of the year!
Thanks for sharing your best tried-and-tested cranberry sauce. I really like it in a cranberry turkey cream cheese sandwich!
Mom always made her fresh cranberry sauce starting with cranberries simmered in orange juice.I think she may have used a small amount of brown sugar too, but not so much that it tasted outright sweet, just enough for a little balance. I never figured out what else she used in it- probably one or two spices- cinnamon or clove probably. So much better than the can full of purplish goo from the supermarket!
Great combination to use some orange with the cranberries. I love cranberries and even eat this kind of sauce with rice and curry (like a chutney).
PS.. to answer your question regarding swapping out oyster sauce for fish sauce… I’m not entirely sure. The fish sauce is very salty so it may fight with the soy sauce. The oyster sauce is not “fishy” like fish sauce, nor is it as salty. I personally think it really does give the best flavor for the brown sauce. I would highly recommend purchasing a small bottle and giving it a try. I think it’s a great component in stir fries and you will use it up.
Thanks for commenting Ramona and for leaving the information on the fish sauce. I didn’t realize that oyster sauce was that salty. I need to pick up some!
Still no sign of cranberries (fresh) in our shops! Booooo
Maybe they decided that the French aren’t worthy of any this year 
Still – I have some dried ones and I can always buy the juice! Not quite enough for sauce making purposes though 
I like the combination of dried and fresh cranberries in this recipe. I also love the combination of cranberry and orange!
Oh, I love that you use cinnamon, cloves and orange zest in your cranberry sauce. Delicious! I put some star anise too in mine sometimes.
how pretty is this sauce?
Yummy recipe….
Look at all the cranberries!!! Just thinking about bitting into it while pairing it with turkey.. or even just with chicken!! Such a vibrant colour.
adding fruits to my diet in this festive season is encouraged! hahah.
That looks and sounds delightful. It may be weird, but I like to heat homemade cran. sauce up and let ice cream melt all over it. It’s more like dessert to me.
That’s not weird at all! Sounds fabulous!
Triple cranberry sauce sounds so good, MJ! What a wonderful way to enjoy the goodness of cranberries! Super yum!
I love all your posts on cranberries, just keep them coming!
Wow, MJ, this sauce looks amazing! I’d love to try it with turkey
Ok so I’ll admit it – I’ve never had cranberry sauce. I think if I saw yours on the plate though I’d definitely give it a shot!
That sauce looks amazing. I bet the addition of dried cranberries really makes the flavour pop!
Cranberry and orange is one of my favorite combos, too. I’m more of a cranberry relish sort, but I do enjoy homemade cranberry sauce from time to time, too. I’ve been thinking about making some for Christmas, and yours looks terrific. Thanks!
I love homemade cranberry sauce! Yours looks delicious!
Hi MJ,
We just love homemade Cranberry Sauce and your recipe looks delicious, we would really enjoy it. Thanks so much for stopping by to visit and hope you will come back soon! Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
Miz Helen
I can’t wait to try this! It looks tasty and I can eat this as dessert.
Cranberry and orange is my favorite combination – I always throw in a shot of ciontreau when I am making cranberry sauce for a subtle and a little boozy hit of orange.
This is perfectly lovely! The perfect amount of orange for me
Happy Holidays
Thanks so much for the perfect recipe!!! Withing you and your a very Merry Christmas!!
XO, Aimee from ItsOverflowing
Mmm this looks so yummy! I love cranberry sauce. I used to eat the canned stuff with a spoon…
yum! love that cinnamon in it… looks delecious
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How very exciting!! Thanks!!!!
Cornbread dressing and cranberry sauce! That sounds so good and I don’t think I’ve ever had this combination. I’m so craving homemade cranberry sauce now and if no one else makes this for the two Thanksgiving meals this year, then I’m making it!
Thanks so much for sharing, MJ – and it’s the perfect side at any table…
Looks Yummy!!
Fresh and festive. I love it! If I may, I’d like to invite you to submit your photos to the new YumGoggle, a photo sharing site with the philosophy that if you worked hard to cook it and photograph it, we should show it off! Hope to see you there soon! http://www.yumgoggle.com/gallery/