Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

It isn’t Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. We’ve always had the canned cranberry sauce at my Thankgivings growing up; I honestly believed the ridges from the can were there so I knew where to cut. I am all for the canned version, but I thought I’d attempt to make a homemade version in my slow cooker. I based it slightly off of Cooking Light’s Classic Cranberry Sauce but changed up a few ingredients and the method of cooking.

Ingredients:

• 1 12 ounce package of cranberries
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup port wine
• 1/2 cup orange juice (or 3 oranges, squeezed)
• 1 tablespoon zest (also about 3 oranges)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• a dash (1/8 tsp or smaller) allspice

 

As a side note, when I went to make this, I realized my brown sugar was hard as a rock. To loosen it up, add the brown sugar to a microwave safe bowl and cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave in 30 second increments until softened.

Begin by zesting and juicing your oranges. I ended up with a little less than a 1/2 cup of orange juice after 3 oranges and just went with it.

Add all ingredients to your slow cooker.

Cook covered on high for 3 hours, or until the cranberries pop.

I mixed it once half way through, mainly because I was curious how it was coming along.

If it still seems too watery, remove the lid and cook on high until thickened. It can still be somewhat thin, the cranberry sauce will thicken in the refrigerator.

Transfer to a container and refrigerate until cool.

This cranberry sauce has a really nice citrusy flavor to it that enhances the cranberry taste. The brown sugar sweetens it up without being too sugary.

I absolutely loved this! The cranberry sauce can be made days ahead of time; pop it in your slow cooker while you’re prepping the rest of your Thanksgiving feast.