Cranberry Sauce Recipe - Celebrating Sweets (2024)

FAQs

What takes the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›

If you don't have maple syrup (pancake syrup WILL NOT do, y'all), try honey or a more neutral sweetener like agave syrup, brown rice syrup, or even simple syrup. All of these syrupy ingredients are a perfect quick fix for bitter cranberry sauce.

And one last overlooked remedy for cranberry sauce: a pinch of salt. While you won't taste it, salt helps equalize the sweet-tart flavor of your cranberry sauce while making it a better pairing for the rest of your savory sides and, of course, the turkey.

The Bottom Line

First, most traditional cranberry sauces have lots of added sugar, so offer to make it yourself for the holiday gathering so you can control how much is added. Or, only take a small amount, about one or two tablespoons, and pair it with the turkey or other vegetables for a balanced meal.

Try reducing the sauce down even further so more of the liquid cooks off and the mixture thickens. If that doesn't work, add a thickener like gelatin, pectin or a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked into juice or water). Let the sauce cool before refrigerating to completely set.

Spike cranberry sauce with citrus

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.

"Resist adding granulated sugar—you won't get the full effect unless you reheat the sauce and the sugar dissolves," writes Kelsey Kloss. "Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste.

How to Make Food Less Sweet. Add an acid or seasonings such as vinegar or citrus juice; chopped fresh herbs; a dash of cayenne pepper; or, for sweet dishes, a bit of liqueur or espresso powder.

Sweeten things up with a little sugar.

As the sauce heats, add granulated sugar a pinch at a time, stirring and tasting in between additions, until the sauce is just right. Avoid brown and powdered sugars, which will add conflicting flavors to the mix.

Buying cranberry sauce at the grocery store can come with extra unnecessary ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is linked to a variety of health problems, including weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

Is cranberry good for high blood pressure? ›

Drink cranberry juice. In a 2012 study, researchers found that drinking cranberry juice regularly can help drop blood pressure (both systolic and diastolic) by three points. It might not sound like a lot, but it's enough to bump someone from pre-hypertension back into the normal range, for example.

Other studies have shown that cranberry supplements improved kidney function in people with early-stage kidney disease. However, a review of 12 studies found no significant evidence to support the use of any cranberry product for the prevention or treatment of kidney disease.

My cranberry sauce is too sweet now that I taste it. How do I fix it? Add a splash of red wine or apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt to lessen sweetness.

The cranberries feel New York to me and the apple cider is definitely a local signature ingredient. Technique tip: You can overcook cranberry sauce and make it overly smooth.

Try a pinch of baking soda.

Baking soda is very alkaline, which is a good way to correct overly bitter dishes. Sprinkle just a pinch into your food and mix it in well to see if that helps.

The Fix: Balance bitter flavors by introducing something salty, sweet, or sour. For naturally bitter foods such as kale, you can soften the flavor by add a lemony vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and pomegranate seeds. You can also elevate kale by tossing it olive oil and salt, then roasting it in the oven until crispy.

Salt suppresses the bitter flavors and can help release some more of the natural sweetness that comes with cranberry. Although, make sure you only add a tiny bit, a light sprinkle, because too much salt will overpower the juice and ruin it completely. Just do a small pinch at a time until you find the right amount.

This bitterness is due to the high tannin content of cranberries.