Homemade cranberry sauce recipe: so easy you’ll never buy shop-bought again

It’s that time of year again. The heating’s on, the tree’s up and we’re here for all the stodge. The food we crave at this time of year is usually hearty and wholesome – but all those savoury festive delights are nothing without complimenting them with the sharp, fruity tang of a great cranberry sauce.

Shop-bought cranberry sauce is our go-to, but going homemade allows you to up your game by adding extra complimentary flavours like orange and apple, whilst still being surprisingly easy to make.

Plus, at Eager we hate the thought of juice going to waste, so we’ve found some easy but excellent cranberry sauce recipes that can help you use up any left-over juice stored in your fridge.

Classic cranberry sauce

At Eager we love classic flavours – and this simple, easy cranberry sauce recipe is exactly that, with a splash of orange for a bit of extra zing.

Just place washed cranberries into a medium saucepan, add the cranberry juice, maple syrup and orange juice. Stir on a high heat until the mixture begins to boil.

Once boiling, turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the juice thickens. Then turn off the heat, transfer to a container, and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Ingredients:

• 350g cranberries
• 250ml Eager cranberry juice
• Splash of Eager orange juice
• 250ml maple syrup

Classy cranberry, port and orange sauce

OK, we do like the classics, but that’s not to say we don’t like a twist on them too. This rich, boozy sauce with a fresh, orange-y aroma, brings a bit of old-school classiness to the cranberry classic.

First, add the cranberries to a large pan with the sugar, water, orange juice, orange zest and cinnamon, and bring to the boil.

Wait for the cranberries to start to ‘pop’ - this should be about 5-10 minutes – this means they’re starting to soften and release pectin, the natural compound that will make the sauce thicken.

Next, stir in the port and cook on a medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Transfer to warm, sterilised jars and seal.

Ingredients:

• 500g cranberries
• 200g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• 100ml Eager orange juice
• Zest of 1 orange
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• 80ml port 

Extra fruity cranberry sauce with pear

The key to this cranberry and pear sauce is actually apple juice. Pears and apples are often added to cranberry sauce to add natural sweetness and earthy flavours that soften the sharpness of the cranberries.

Combine the cranberries, pear, orange zest and sugar in a medium saucepan. Then add the apple juice and bring the mixture to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce begins to thicken (about 15-20 minutes). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 500g cranberries
• 1 pear
• 2 tsp grated orange zest
• 500ml granulated sugar
• 500ml Eager apple juice

Have a merry cranberry christmas

Whether it’s fruity, boozy or classic, cranberry sauce is a must-have staple of the christmas table. Yes, it’s easy to buy it from the supermarket. But why go standard when you can impress your guests whilst putting in such little effort?

Eager’s mixed juice boxes tick off all the juices on this list, (and give you plenty of other options for a festive cocktail or brunch!). Plus our juice can be stored anywhere, so it won’t take up unnecessary space in your fridge during party season.