Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Rinse the cranberries in a sieve and drain. Wash and dry the orange before grating 1/2 teaspoon of zest. Set the zest aside; it goes in after the berries cook. Measure the juice, sugar and water so the small pan does not sit over heat while you gather ingredients.
- Put the sugar, orange juice and water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the cranberries and bring to a gentle simmer. Lower the heat if the liquid starts boiling hard; the berries may pop and splash as they open.
- Simmer gently for about 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most berries have split and the liquid looks lightly syrupy. Press a few berries with the back of a spoon if you prefer fewer whole pieces. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the orange zest. The hot sauce should still look a little loose.
- Transfer the sauce to a shallow heat-safe container. Let the strongest steam subside briefly, then refrigerate promptly. Allow about 45–60 minutes to chill; a deeper container may take longer. Stir before serving. Do not keep cooking the hot sauce until it looks as thick as cold sauce, because it will thicken as it cools.
Notes
Recipe development note: This formulation has not been kitchen-tested. Preparation times are estimates; follow the texture checks and product instructions.
The estimated yield is about 3/4 cup: six small portions of roughly 2 tablespoons. That leaves a little extra for sandwiches if you are cooking dinner for two. Yield varies with how long the berries simmer. The total time includes an estimated hour for cooling and chilling.
If chilled sauce is too thick, stir in a teaspoon of water or orange juice at a time. If it is too thin after chilling, return it to the saucepan for a short gentle simmer, then cool and refrigerate again. Judge thickness once cold rather than trying to predict it from the bubbling pan.
Bitterness can come from grating the white pith beneath the orange peel. More sugar will not reliably correct a large amount of pith. Measure a small amount of finely grated colored zest and add it off the heat.
Keep the sauce covered in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within four days. Refrigerate within two hours of preparation, or within one hour if the room is above 90°F (32°C). Freeze extra sauce in small freezer-safe portions and thaw in the refrigerator. This sauce is not shelf-stable.