OHOW’s Thanksgiving Berry Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Sweet, tart, and tangy–everyone loves cranberry sauce! It adds that extra zip to your turkey. This Thanksgiving berry cranberry sauce is a new take on the classic sauce. 

We’re all familiar with that jelly cranberry sauce from a can, but it can’t hold a candle to the flavor of delicious homemade cranberry sauce. Our Thanksgiving berry cranberry sauce recipe takes the classic cranberry sauce up a notch by adding a medley of other berries to the mix. It makes for a delicious side that adds something new to the classic Thanksgiving meal staple. This berry cranberry sauce is so tasty and so easy to make, you might whip up a batch again for your Christmas dinner too! 

From Chef Mike and everyone at the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving. 

Blueberries, Blackberries, and More Go into This Delicious Sauce

Cranberries are a Wisconsin staple and were enjoyed by Native Americans in many dishes as far back as the 1500s. The berries were originally known as crane-berries (either because cranes enjoyed them or because the plant resembles the head of a crane). Eventually, they became known as cranberries.

Cranberries contain many vitamins, including vitamin C. The berries dry well and can be preserved for quite some time. For these reasons, people often took cranberries on boat trips to prevent scurvy and on explorations (in the form of pemmican). Cranberry leaves can be used as tea, and the juice is delicious. In addition to vitamin C, cranberries also contain antioxidants, vitamin E, and K.

The other berries used in this berry cranberry sauce recipe include blueberries, raspberries, and either blackberries or strawberries. Port wine is also included to make a sauce that’s high in polyphenols, vitamin C, and a delicious fruity flavor. Orange juice adds a little more tang to complement the sweetness of the berries and highlight the cranberry flavor. (Use the leftover oranges and zest in these yummy orange and pecan pumpkin cookies.)

Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are all native to Wisconsin as well. These berries have grown in the wild for centuries. Although they typically reach peak season in our area in the late summer and early fall, it’s still a nice callback to the cuisine of our early ancestors. These berries feel very appropriate for a Thanksgiving meal.

The berry sauce is delicious in other applications as well. Enjoy it over ice cream or as an accompaniment to a cheeseboard during the holidays. People really like the sweet, tart, and tangy flavor combination, and it goes well with many dishes. You can even stir leftover berry cranberry sauce into your morning oatmeal or yogurt; fold it into a batch of muffins. There are many uses—so be sure to make plenty of this Thanksgiving berry cranberry sauce!

How to make OHOW’s Thanksgiving Berry Cranberry Sauce

For this cranberry sauce recipe, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries. To start, you’ll add a cup of red port wine to a four-quart saucepot and simmer to reduce the liquid by half. Once the wine has reduced, add your cranberries, orange juice, sugar, and water. We like to use fresh oranges for the juice, but store-bought orange juice works as well.

Bring the cranberry sauce mixture to a boil, and then let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries or strawberries. Allow the mixture to cook for 4-5 minutes further and then remove from heat. You can stir a little to break the berries down (although the in-tact berries offer a really lovely texture to the cranberry sauce).

Allow the berry cranberry sauce to cool before pouring it into your serving dish. If you used fresh oranges, grate orange rind as a garnish on top. Alternatively, a sprig of rosemary or even a fresh berry or two will look nice. Allow the sauce to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours or even overnight. You can make this cranberry sauce ahead and save yourself time on the big day.

Once the meal is ready, bring your delicious Thanksgiving berry cranberry sauce to the table and enjoy!

 

OHOW’s Thanksgiving Berry Cranberry Sauce

There’s nothing like a homemade cranberry sauce for your Thanksgiving spread. Our special Thanksgiving berry cranberry sauce includes a medley of other berries for a twist on a classic holiday recipe.
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 24 guests

Ingredients
  

  • 2 bags Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup Orange Juice
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup Red Port Wine
  • 1 cup Blueberries
  • 1/2 cup Raspberries
  • 1/2 cup BlackBerries or Strawberries

Instructions
 

  • In a four-quart saucepot, add a cup of red port wine and reduce liquid by half.
  • Next, add Cranberries, orange juice, sugar, and water. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the cranberry sauce from the heat and add the rest of the berries; continue to cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Then set the berry sauce aside to cool. When cool, pour into a serving dish and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

Notes

If you use fresh oranges for the juice, you can use the grated orange rind as a garnish to sprinkle on top of your berry cranberry sauce.
Keyword cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce recipe, thanksgiving cranberry sauce, whole berry cranberry sauce