Serve Homemade Cranberry Sauce at Thanksgiving Dinner

It's a funny thing about Thanksgiving dinners: almost everything on the table is homemade, except, invariably, the cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving hosts spend a long day slaving away in the kitchen, preparing the entire dinner menu with both devotion and endless muttering. There's pride in the preparation, but--inexplicably--not when it comes to cranberry sauce. The irony is that homemade cranberry sauce is one of the quickest and easiest elements of a Thanksgiving dinner to prepare, and one of the most nutritious.

Not that I dislike canned cranberry sauce. That ubiquitous can-molded gelatinous purpley-burgundy glob is admittedly a tasty Thanksgiving dinner side dish. But it sure ain't cranberry, and it sure ain't sauce. Someone entirely unfamiliar with it might even question whether it was fit for human consumption.

Fresh homemade cranberry sauce has a more obviously edible aura. It's a simple, unique offering, bringing a bit more attention to the traditional but unassuming Thanksgiving dinner accompaniment.

The real cranberry sauce also happens to be quite nutritious. Cranberries are high in Vitamins A and C, as well as potassium. Most people know that cranberries can help prevent and treat urinary tract infections, but they've been shown to do a lot more. They have anti-inflammatory properties, improve the circulatory system and heart health, help prevent ulcers and brain degeneration, and they contain tannins that block the oxidation of bad cholesterol. Crantastic health benefits from a mighty little berry. There are also healthy additions to homemade cranberry sauce, addressed below.

In contrast, canned cranberry sauce is heavily processed, artificially colored and flavored, and almost completely devoid of nutritional value.

I'm certainly not suggesting that Thanksgiving dinner is a time to worry about healthy eating. It's not. It's a time for the good ol' American tradition of gorging ourselves on anything and everything in reach. I mention the nutrition aspect only to bolster my argument ever so slightly for making homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner.

As you're undoubtedly convinced to try it, here's my quick, easy, and delicious homemade cranberry sauce recipe to try this year at your Thanksgiving dinner (makes about 3 cups, and can be proportionally adjusted as needed):

Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe for Thanksgiving Dinner

Put 2 cups of fresh (or frozen, if necessary) cranberries into 1 cup of boiling water. Use an uncovered non-reactive pot over high heat. Wait for most of the cranberries to pop, which should take about 5 minutes. Be careful, as there can be some hot splattering that will stain clothing. Next, add in the juice from half an orange and a few sprinkles of orange zest. Stir in either ¾ cup sugar or brown sugar, or ½ cup of honey. Mix everything thoroughly, cover the pot, and let the cranberry sauce simmer over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. 20 minutes is approximate; watch the cranberry sauce to get it to your desired consistency. Less time will give you a looser dish, longer and it will thicken more. You can also sweeten it to taste with more sugar or honey if you prefer to further cut the tartness. Serve the cranberry sauce hot or cold.

There are plenty of additions for this recipe to liven up the dish for your Thanksgiving dinner company. As it's somewhat mushy, adding some crunch to the texture is a good idea. Chopped pecans or walnuts work well. Just be sure to mention them to your guests, as nut allergies are common, and they might not expect nuts in cranberry sauce. Minced apple or pear are delicious options too. Raisins are an okay accompaniment, though I don't find they contribute much more than a little chew. One unexpected add-in with a great complementary flavor (though it does nothing for the texture) is mandarin orange segments.

If you remain determined to put the same old canned cranberry sauce on your Thanksgiving dinner menu, consider mashing it up and mixing in one or two of these additional ingredients. It shows some extra effort and still presents your Thanksgiving dinner guests with a unique cranberry sauce.

As you can see, making your own cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner is so simple, there's no reason not to. Thanksgiving dinner is a special occasion, which is reflected in all the effort hosts put forth to prepare a large, fantastic meal for family and friends. How cranberry sauce has come to be the most blatantly overlooked Thanksgiving dinner side dish is a bit of a mystery. But it doesn't have to be that way anymore. Let's give cranberry sauce the respect it deserves as a traditional, essential Thanksgiving dinner component. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, enjoy the homemade cranberry sauce, and everything else!