Savory Sweet Life

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Honey Satsuma Cranberry Sauce

Last update: July 2, 2016 By Alice Currah 6 Comments

Honey-Satsuma-Cranberry-Sauce

Once you make homemade cranberry sauce, you never go back. Never, ever.  It dawned on me one year how odd it is to put so much effort into this huge elaborate meal where the turkey causes so much stress because it is the one time of year people who never roast meat actually do go through the process from buying a turkey to roasting it in the oven.  The sense of accomplishment a home cook feels when this bird comes out of the oven looking like it does on the cover of a magazine is something one never forgets, similar to the memory and feeling a new first time mom feels when she gives birth to her first child. It’s like, “Wow, I did it!”  But this is what irks me.  It irks me to see canned cranberry sauce spooned into a bowl looking rather gelatinous next to a beautiful roasted turkey.  I think to myself, “Why!??” Followed by, “How sad.”  Just seems strange to have canned sauce on the table after all the work someone puts into roasting  a turkey. And I realize some people like canned sauce.  Fair enough. I like store-bought things too, guilty pleasures.  But seriously, homemade cranberry sauce is so damn easy to make and tastes so much better than what you can buy in a can, it just seems so obvious to make it from scratch.

honey-cranberry-sauce

This cranberry sauce only uses 3 ingredients, 4 if you count the optional zest.  The key to this sauce is using fresh satsuma mandarin oranges for the juice, zest, and garnish -remember, presentation counts! If you can find satsumas with the stem and leaves intact, the leaves also make great garnish accents and can be served in a bowl as part of an easy decorative centerpiece.

I use honey in this recipe for its sweet floral undertones which compliment the orange citrus flavor in a way that sugar doesn’t.  Once the juice, honey, and fresh cranberries are cooked down into a thick sauce, the vibrant red color affirms every reason why homemade cranberry sauce is awesome and explains in one bite why once you go scratch you never go back.

Once last thing, you can make this sauce in advance, like today. Like right now. Any leftovers should be saved and used as a jam or in a sandwich like this one.  You can also pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve it with crackers.

Happy pre-Thanksgiving to you!

cranberries-and-satsumas

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Honey Satsuma Cranberry Sauce
Author: Savory Sweet Life / Alice Currah
Prep time:  3 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  18 mins
Serves: 2 cups
 
An easy citrus cranberry sauce made with fresh Satsuma mandarin orange juice, honey, and fresh cranberries.
Ingredients
  • fresh cranberries
  • Satsuma (mandarin) oranges
  • honey
  • optional: citrus zest and citrus leaves for garnish
Instructions
  1. For the full recipe, please read Alice's PBS Column here.
3.2.1753

 

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: cranberries, cranberry sauce, Fruit, Gluten-Free, paleo, thanksgiving, Vegetarian

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Comments

  1. SarJoyce says

    December 13, 2013 at 7:03 pm

    Hi Alice. We made this for our Thanksgiving meal and it was a hit! The orange zest and satsuma juice had a really bright flavor, adding a natural sweetness to the dish. I think it was one of the most popular dishes at our table! This one is a keep, thank you so much!

  2. lucy says

    November 25, 2013 at 10:45 pm

    This looks delicious. I always make my own cranberry sauce, never touch the stuff in the can.

  3. sara says

    November 25, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    Lovely! Such beautiful color, and it sounds so delicious!

  4. Arlene Poma says

    November 25, 2013 at 5:09 pm

    Thank you for such a simple recipe! It’s time that I get off the canned stuff and try something fresh. This is also Owari Satsuma mandarin season in nearby Placer County (California). I love mandarins! Tis the season!

  5. Lainey says

    November 25, 2013 at 6:54 pm

    Hi Alice…well another year, another Thanksgiving, and another great cranberry sauce recipe from you! Last year I made the Simple and Amazing Cranberry sauce (which I loved!) and was ready to use the same recipe, but this post definitely caught my interest. Thanks for sharing all your great recipes and Happy Thanksgiving : )

  6. Emanuelle says

    November 25, 2013 at 6:18 am

    This looks awesome! Haven’t made my cranberry sauce yet- might just have to try yours! You’re really getting me in the mood for Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Hi, and welcome to Savory Sweet Life. I am so glad you are here! My name is Alice Currah and you'll find easy delicious recipes to feed your family and other useful tips for everyday living. Continue reading more about Alice....

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