Mom’s Cranberry Sauce

My mom’s fresh cranberry sauce is the only one I will really eat. It’s both sweet & tangy with the flavors of pineapple and orange. A holiday must make!

I will admit, I have never been a big fan of cranberry sauce unless, of course, it’s my mom’s. That weird stuff that slides out of the can with the impression of the can rings on the side? Um, no thanks. Too weird. Food shouldn’t look like the container it came out of, should it?

Mom’s Amazing Cranberry Sauce

I love this fresh cranberry sauce my mom makes. It has an orange flavor that, personally, I think just makes it taste perfect. Cranberry-Orange is a fantastic flavor combination.

My memories of Thanksgiving are always heartwarming. As a kid, we went to my Grandma’s every year. (My Mom’s Mom) I can close my eyes and picture her in her kitchen in South Omaha, wearing her dress and her apron, cooking and laughing with us as polka music played in the background.  

That very kitchen floor is where she taught me how to polka dance. The Big Joe Polka Show was one she never ever missed.

I wish my grandma had been facing the camera. This is her, my Mom, and me on my first Thanksgiving. I was about 5 months old here.

My grandma was a marvelous cook, and it’s a quality she passed on to my Mom, and I hope that my kids feel like that about me.

Cranberry Sauce – A Thanksgiving Tradition

To me, Thanksgiving is always about tradition. We eat the same thing EVERY year, and that is the way that I prefer it. I don’t want any surprises! As a kid, we had Turkey, Sausage and Sage Dressing, Mashed Potatoes and homemade turkey Gravy, Corn, Dinner Rolls, Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Potatoes (for the few who liked them), Pumpkin Pie, and My Grandma’s Rhubarb Pie.

We have exactly the same thing now, at my Mom’s house, with the exception that the rhubarb pie is now apple pie!

My Mom’s Kitchen – “The Girls” – Thanksgiving 2013 – Me, my daughters, Kenzie and Josie, my Mom, and my sister-in-law, Julie.

Thanksgiving, My Husband’s Favorite Holiday

My husband says Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday, “because it’s all about going home, family, and food. No presents to buy, just togetherness.”  Thanksgiving is a time to fill your belly so full with good food then crowd in that piece of pie while you’re reading through the ads or lounging on the couch watching football.

 It’s about toasts with (sometimes too much) good wine and going around the table saying what we are thankful for.  Thanksgiving is plain and simple about family and good food.

Ingredients in Mom’s Cranberry Sauce Recipe

You will find the exact measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• fresh cranberries – I find them in the produce seciotn this time of year. Frozen will work if you can’t find fresh.
• sugar – I use pure granulated sugar
• orange juice and zest – the perfect pair to cranberry. Be sure to sprinkle a little zest on top when you serve the cranberry sauce.
• crushed pineapple and juice – adds a little more citrus sweetness to things.

That’s it! Only 4 ingredients and this delicious cranberry sauce will be making an appearance on your Thanksgiving table!

How to Make the Best Cranberry Sauce Recipe

This recipe comes together quickly and easily on your stovetop. I typically make it a day or two before Thanksgiving, as it just gets better in the fridge.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, dissolve sugar into the orange and pineapple juices and bring to a boil.

Stir in the cranberries and pineapple and bring back to a boil. Cook until the cranberries pop. (About 10 minutes.)

Remove from heat and place the cooked cranberry sauce in a bowl to cool and thicken for a few hours on your countertop.

Refrigerate. Top with zested orange for serving, if desired.

Store leftover cranberry sauce in the fridge in an airtight continer for up to 5 days.

Every year, on the weekend after Thanksgiving you can bet I am making a batch of my Cranberry Orange Muffins using leftover cranberry sauce! These Cranberry Sauce Meatballs are another tasty way to utilize cranberry sauce in another recipe.

 

Love it?  Pin it!

If you love this recipe, make sure that you pin it to your favorite Pinterest board before you go, so you can find it again.  Follow my Fall Flavors Pinterest board for delicious ideas year-round!

Cranberry Sauce Makes Thanksgiving Meals Tastier

Use fresh or fresh frozen cranberries instead of that canned cranberry sauce. It makes such a difference in so many ways. First, there is no comparison for the flavor. Also, cranberries are called a “superfood” for good reason. Cranberries are packed with vitamins, tons of antioxidants, and have zero fat.

Also, since you take advantage of using the sugars in the oranges and the cranberries, making your own cranberry sauce is a way healthier option. 

Another great thing about homemade cranberry sauce? It actually works as a palate cleanser, and being high fiber helps too. So, that delicious cranberry sauce is also helping keep everyone’s appetites up and taste buds perky, too!

That is always handy when people eat all that turkey, which makes them feel sleepy, and those mashed potatoes that make them feel full.

More Cranberry Recipes to Love

If you love cranberroes and cran berry sauce, you are sure to love these other tasty cranberry recipes!

• Sugared Cranberries (pictured above)
• Pork Loin with Balsamic Cranberry Glaze
• Rosemary Infused Cranberry Bourbon Martini
• Easy Cranberry Centerpiece
• Double Chocolate Cranberry Magic Bars
• Cranberry Fluff
• Cranberry Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

So, however you celebrate it, whether you prepare the same thing every year based on tradition, or make something new each year, or just start out and develop your own dinner traditions, I hope that you and yours have a very heartwarming Thanksgiving and that you are blessed beyond measure!

I originally posted this recipe in November of 2014. It has been updated to improve user experience in November 2019 and November 2025.

I originally posted this recipe in November of 2014. It has been updated to improve user experience in November 2019 and November 2025.