Hey, y'all! Cranberry sauce gets a bad, unfair reputation. I truly believe that, as it's my favorite dish in the holiday spread. While I'll take cranberry sauce in any form, I decided to add some Kentucky soul to it this year. The result? My Bourbon Orange Cranberry Sauce. I know y'all are going to love it!
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Bourbon Orange Cranberry Sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You'll want to use fresh cranberries for this recipe. Frozen cranberries would be the second choice, though there would be an increased water content. I implore that you stay away from any canned variety for this recipe.
You'll want the majority of the cranberries to burst and the liquid to reduce; however, I like some of the cranberries to be "recognizable". By that, I mean that some of the cranberries should be just near bursting/semi-whole. This adds texture to the dish.
Cranberry sauce, without sugar, is naturally tart. The amount of sugar listed in this recipe is enough to make this sweet. If you want to make it sweeter, add more sugar; if you want it more on the tart side, add less sugar.
I'll first answer this question by reminding you that I am from Kentucky. So, yes! However, in all seriousness, it adds a depth of rich, warm flavor that takes this dish to the next level. The same can be said for the orange juice/orange zest.
Ingredients, Shopping List:
Fresh cranberries: I use 24 oz. of fresh cranberries in this recipe; you can often find them in 12 oz bags, so you can easily buy two for the batch.
Sugar: You'll use both white granulated sugar (1 cup) and brown sugar (1 cup) for the bourbon orange cranberry sauce.
Freshly-Squeezed Orange Juice: ¾ cup. While you could use purchased orange juice for this, freshly-squeezed is so much better. You'll use the oranges for the orange zest, as well.
Kentucky Bourbon: Use the bourbon of your choice - ¼ cup.
Other Ingredients: orange zest, water.
How To Make My Bourbon Orange Cranberry Sauce
- Add all ingredients into a medium-size saucepan.
- For 15-20 minutes, cook over medium-high heat. Once a majority of the liquid has reduced + the berries have burst, take the cranberry sauce off of the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
- Top with additional orange zest + serve.
The Recipe
Enjoy my Bourbon Orange Cranberry Sauce? Check out my other recipes here!
Bourbon Orange Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- medium-size saucepan
Ingredients
- 24 oz. fresh cranberries
- 1 c white granulated sugar
- 1 c. light brown sugar
- ¾ c. orange juice freshly-squeezed
- ½ c. water
- ¼ c. Kentucky Bourbon
- 2 tsp. orange zest
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, minus 1 tsp. of orange zest, into a medium-size saucepan.
- For 15-20 minutes, cook over medium-high heat. Once a majority of the liquid has reduced + the berries have burst, take the cranberry sauce off of the heat and allow it to cool for 15 minutes.
- Top with additional orange zest + serve.
Nutrition
Y’all come back now, ya hear?
My best,
JC
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Enjoy my Bourbon Orange Cranberry Sauce? Check out my other recipes here!
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