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Homemade Cranberry Sauce
5 from 15 votes

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Homemade Cranberry Sauce made with fresh cranberries, lemon zest, and sugar yields a tart and sweet condiment with a smooth or slightly chunky texture. Cooking cranberries in an instant pot before blending and sautéing allows control over consistency and thickness. It is suitable as a classic accompaniment for holiday meals or any dish needing a bright, fruity contrast.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
16 mins
Total Time
26 mins
Servings: 20
Calories: 93 kcal
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: European, American

Ingredients

  • 24 oz cranberries 2 bags, each bag is 12 oz, fresh
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 cups sugar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Open 2 bags of fresh cranberries (12 oz each bag) and put them into the bowl. Pick out those damaged and mashed cranberries. 
  2. Pour 6 cups of water into the bowl and wash them. 
  3. Then, drain the fresh cranberries. Repeat steps 2-3 for at least 3 times. 
  4. After that, put the washed fresh cranberries into the instant pot pressure cooker. 
  5. Next, pour 1 cup of water into the instant pot. 
  6. Put 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. ( You can use orange zest.) Close the lid and vent, push the manual button, adjust time for 1 minute at high pressure and naturally release pressure. 
  7. When it is done, open the lid. 
  8. Use an electric blender to blend the cooked cranberries or use a masher to mash it until it is smooth or with little chunks. Some like to have more chunks and mash or blend it a little bit. 
  9. After, put 2 cups of sugar into the sauce. 
  10. Push the button sauté for 10-15 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent burning. Also, be careful it will splash and it is hot! Stir until you like the thickness of the sauce. When it cools off, it will thicken even more. (I did around 15 minutes and it’s like a jam/paste after cooling off.)

Notes

  • Repeat washing cranberries multiple times to clean thoroughly before cooking.
  • Adjust texture by blending or mashing cranberries to smooth or chunky according to preference.
  • Sauté the cranberry mixture for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning and achieve desired thickness.
  • Cool sauce completely before storing in sterilized jars; refrigerate or freeze to extend shelf life.

Nutrition Information

Calories 93kcal (5%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 0.2g (0%) Fat 0.1g (0%) Saturated Fat 0.003g (0%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.02g (0%) Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g (0%) Sodium 1mg (0%) Potassium 28mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 21g (42%) Vitamin A 20IU (0%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 3mg (0%) Iron 0.1mg (1%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 93

% Daily Value*

Calories 93kcal 5%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 0.2g 0%
Fat 0.1g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.003g 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.02g 0%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Potassium 28mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 21g 42%
Vitamin A 20IU 0%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 3mg 0%
Iron 0.1mg 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.