Ingredients
Method
- Give the cranberries a cold-water rinse, pick out any soft or shriveled ones, and let them drain thoroughly.
- Put the sugar and water in a 2-quart saucepan and heat until boiling, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Tip in the cranberries and wait for the liquid to boil again.
- Turn the heat down and let the berries simmer for 10 minutes, giving them a stir now and then. Most of them will burst, and the liquid will still look thin; it thickens as it cools.
- Off the heat, transfer the sauce to a bowl and cover it. Leave it at room temperature until it has cooled, about 1 hour and no longer than 2 hours.
- Keep it in the refrigerator until serving time. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
Makes about 2 1/4 cups, or 9 servings of 1/4 cup.
Fresh and frozen whole cranberries both work. Frozen berries can go into the syrup straight from the bag without thawing.
Orange juice can replace some or all of the water for an orange-flavored sauce.
Storage: refrigerate in a covered container for 7 to 10 days. Freezing is not recommended, because the sauce can turn watery once thawed.
Adapted from the recipe printed on the back of a bag of cranberries.