Ingredients:

  • 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 cup granulated white sugar
  • 1 cup 100% orange juice
  • 1 tbsp fresh orange zest
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions:

  1. Combine 1 cup granulated white sugar and 1 cup 100% orange juice in your saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar crystals completely disappear.
  2. Stir in 1 pinch fine sea salt and drop in 1 cinnamon stick. Note: Adding the salt early helps balance the sweetness from the start.
  3. Add the 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries to the bubbling liquid.
  4. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then immediately turn the heat down to medium low.
  5. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You are waiting until the berries burst and the liquid turns syrupy.
  6. Use your spoon to draw a line across the bottom of the pan; the sauce should fill the gap slowly.
  7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp fresh orange zest. Note: Adding zest at the end preserves the volatile oils that provide the best scent.
  8. Carefully fish out the cinnamon stick and discard it.
  9. Pour the sauce into a glass bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Wait until it stops steaming before covering.
  10. Transfer to the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the pectin to fully firm up into a jam like consistency.