Once you’ve had homemade cranberry sauce, the canned kind doesn’t stand a chance.  Although the nostalgia of the canned sauce is worth buying it!   It takes about 15 minutes, and fresh baby ginger gives it a warm, bright kick that pairs perfectly with the tart berries and orange. Make a jar now and you’ll find yourself spooning it onto everything, long before Thanksgiving.

Storage: Keep fresh cranberries in their bag in the fridge for 3–4 weeks, or freeze them right in the bag for up to a year. They go straight into recipes from frozen. For the baby ginger, see our guide Fresh Baby Ginger: How to Store, Use and Preserve It.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups · 15 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups), which leaves about a cup from this week’s pound for the cornbread
  • 3/4 cup sugar, or 2/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated baby ginger (about a 1 1/2-inch piece)
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • A pinch of salt

Directions

  1. Put the sugar, orange juice, water, ginger and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Add the cranberries. Simmer over medium heat, stirring now and then, until most of the berries have popped, 10–12 minutes.
  3. Turn off the heat and stir in the orange zest. Mash a few berries against the side of the pot for a thicker sauce, or leave it chunky.
  4. Let it cool. It will look loose while hot but sets up as it cools.
  5. Taste and add more sugar if you like it sweeter.

Keeps: Up to 2 weeks in a jar in the fridge, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

How to use it: Spread it on a turkey or grilled cheese sandwich, swirl it into yogurt or oatmeal, spoon it over roasted squash, or serve it with Brie and crackers. It’s great alongside this week’s miso-maple kabocha, and of course on the holiday table.

Using the rest of this week’s cranberries: The remaining cup is just right for our Cranberry Ginger Cornbread.