Orange-Maple Cranberry Sauce

Serves 10

Yields about 2 cups

by Ellie Krieger
from Fine Cooking
Issue 119
Last Edit Date: 8/20/2012 4:41:46 PM

Pure maple syrup makes all the difference here, so avoid artificially flavored syrup. Cooking the cranberries just until they burst prevents the sauce from becoming too thick.

more about:

1 12-oz. package fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups), picked over and rinsed
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 medium orange, finely grated to yield 1 tsp. zest, squeezed to yield 1/3 cup juice

Combine the cranberries, maple syrup, and orange juice in a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, just until the cranberries burst, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat, stir in the zest, and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Make Ahead Tips

The sauce may be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 100; Fat (g): 0; Fat Calories (kcal): 0; Saturated Fat (g): 0; Protein (g): 0; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 0; Carbohydrates (g): 25; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 0; Sodium (mg): 0; Cholesterol (mg): 0; Fiber (g): 1;

Photo: Scott Phillips

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by Lilia37, 11/14/2012I have to be up-front honest here: I might not be able to rate a cranberry sauce recipe fairly because I am always comparing it to my "usual" sauce (a ginger-pear cranberry sauce). I decided to give this a try because one of my guests wasn't fond of ginger. It was OK, but didn't elicit the usual compliments I get for my standard version. I found the maple flavour a bit strong and the orange didn't shine through as much as I was expecting.

by Pielove, 10/9/2012Have you ever looked at a recipe and thought "ho-hum", then had the food turn out shockingly good? Well, I have made a lot of different cranberry sauces-- plain, with wine, etc.-- so I thought this one would be similar. I also worried that the cranberries and orange would overwhelm the subtle maple flavors. To my surprise (and delight, of course), this cranberry sauce really delivers-- the flavors combine in some subtle, possibly synergistic way to make a really compelling sauce. As an added bonus, it's easy to make. My new standard!