By Addison Schwing – Editorial and News Editor

Cranberry sauce is traditionally a Thanksgiving side dish, and for good reason. Cranberry season is typically in early fall, and as such fresh cranberries are only available then. Thankfully, you can buy frozen cranberries at your local grocer, so delicious homemade cranberry sauce can be made year-round. This recipe is a simple sauce that can be flavored with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now, such as cinnamon or orange peel, but is totally serviceable on its own. This recipe shows you how to make fresh cranberry sauce, as well as how to sterilize jars for canning. 

Ingredients:

• 1 1lb bag frozen cranberries, thawed
• ¼ cup of sugar
• Water 
• Glass mason jars

Directions:

1. Place cranberries and sugar, as well as any spices in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. 
2. Simmer the cranberries until they audibly pop and the skin splits. This should take no more than 15 minutes. 
3. Place your mason jars in a large, high-walled stockpot upside down. Cover with hot water from the tap. Bring water for a raging boil and let jars sit in the boiling water for about ten minutes. 
4. Remove jars carefully from the water. Transfer your hot cranberry sauce to the jars, leaving about a ½ inch headspace between the mouth of the jar and the lid. Transfer the jars back to the boiling water for 10 more minutes. Allow cooling for 12 hours, during which a pressure seal will form.