If you want to win this Thanksgiving, you should make this make ahead instant pot orange cranberry sauce. If you’ve never had homemade cranberry sauce, you’re missing out. It’s nothing like the stuff that comes out of the can. It’s kind of funny that I’m even saying this because the truth is, until recently, I didn’t get what the deal with cranberry sauce and turkey. Growing up we certainly didn’t do cranberry sauce. Heck, we didn’t even have regular stuffing made with bread. Nope, my mom did the whole Chinese sticky rice stuffing thing. So, you can see why cranberry sauce isn’t a nostalgic thing for me.
In some ways, it not being nostalgic is even better because I know that I don’t like it for sentimental reasons. I legit like the sweet-tartness of cranberry sauce with the savoriness of turkey. It’s kind of a bonus that it’s traditional. Did you know that cranberry sauce with turkey is actually something that the Pilgrims did? I just learned that today, after googling “why does cranberry sauce go with turkey?” Apparently cranberries are native to North America. Something something about the climate here being perfect to grow them.
Cranberries growing have to be about one of the cutest fruits ever. I love cranberry fields! They’re really common here in the PNW: sometimes you see them while you’re driving on the highway. The best is when they flood the fields and all the cranberries float to the top and you see farmers wading around in giant waterproof overalls. If they sold the cranberries in the fields, I would totally buy them, but they don’t so I usually get fresh cranberries at the store.
After you find your fresh cranberries, all you need to make sauce is sugar and an orange. You could skip the orange, but I think it adds a nice little undercurrent of orange flavor that pairs well. This sauce is super simple. Most of your cranberries are pressure cooked with a bit of water for a just a minute, then left to soften a little bit for 2 minutes on natural release. After a quick release, you stir in the sugar and remaining cranberries and do a quick 1 minute cook on sauté. Cooking the berries in two stages ensures you get a nice mix of berry textures, both soft and jelly and soft and whole.
Super Simple Make Ahead Instant Pot Orange Cranberry Sauce Recipe
makes about 2.5 cups
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries, about 3 cups
- 1/2 cup water or low-sugar orange juice
- 1 strip orange zest
- 1/2 – 1 cup sugar
Add 2.5 cups of the cranberries, saving 1/2 cup for later, along with the water or juice to the insert of the Instant Pot.
Cook on high pressure for 1 minute. When done, set a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes of natural release, quick release the pressure.
Carefully open up the lid and then stir in the sugar and remaining 1/2 cup of berries. Sauté on high for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Keeps in the fridge for 10-14 days.
Digging the new layout! Much easier to follow.
yay! thank you so much for the kind words cheryl!! and thanks for noticing the re-design!