Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 61 Comments

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This Crockpot Apple Cranberry Sauce is spiked with orange and crystallized ginger. Fantastic with roast turkey!
Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe (1)

The barrage of holiday recipes has started. For my Canadian and other non-American readers, I urge you to think of these recipes not just for American Thanksgiving, but for the whole holiday season. In fact, our family tradition is to eat turkey at Christmas dinner, complete with mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes and a double dose of gravy. For my family, it's not a proper turkey dinner without our favorite
and my mother-in-law's Crockpot Applesauce. Our favorite cranberry sauce will be making appearance again this year. In fact, I think my kids would have "words" with me if I didn't make it. However, since variety is the spice of life (so they say), I thought it would be fun to have another version on hand for day-after sandwiches.

Between the family applesauce recipe and the pear applesauce I made this year, the crockpot (slow cooker) has always worked well for us. Not only does it fill the kitchen with the smell of the holidays, but it can be tucked away in the corner of the kitchen, freeing up stovetop space, which is at a premium when cooking a holiday meal. This version is filled with cranberries, fresh orange juice, orange zest and chopped crystallized ginger. As the apples cook down and the cranberries pop, the color takes on a ruby red hue. Before removing the sauce from the crockpot, be sure to taste it. If you find it to be too tart, just add an extra tablespoon or two of brown sugar to sweeten things up.

The apple cranberry sauce recipe:

Place all of the apple pieces and cranberries in a large bowl and stir in brown sugar and orange zest.

Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe (2)

Pour orange juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture.

Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices and popping cranberries with a wooden spoon as they soften.

Stir in crystallized ginger. Taste and add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar if you find the sauce too tart for your liking.

Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe (3)

Serve warm or room temperature.

Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe (4)

Other cranberry sauce recipes:

Cookin' Canuck's
Two Peas and Their Pod's Fresh Cranberry Orange Sauce
Ciao Florentina's Blood Orange Cranberry Sauce

Printable Recipe

Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe (5)

Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe

This Crockpot Apple Cranberry Sauce is spiked with orange and crystallized ginger. Fantastic with roast turkey or chicken!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Sauces/Condiments

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Holiday Recipes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 Servings (4 Cups Total)

Calories: 47kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

  • 4 medium Gala apples peeled, cored, quartered & sliced
  • 1 12 ounce package fresh cranberries
  • 5 tablespoons brown sugar or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoons grated orange zest
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • ¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger

Instructions

  • Place all of the apple pieces and cranberries in a large bowl and stir in brown sugar and orange zest.

  • Pour orange juice into the bottom of a large crockpot (slow cooker) and add the apple mixture.

  • Cover, turn the crockpot setting to Low, and cook for about 8 hours, stirring occasionally and breaking up the apple slices and cranberries with a wooden spoon as they soften.

  • Stir in crystallized ginger. Taste and add an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar if you find the sauce to be too tart.

  • Serve warm or room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25Cup | Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 4.2mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Megan @ Ginger Mom's Tastes and Travels

    I have a bag of cranberries to use up and apples coming out my ears! This looks like something I'm going to have to try 🙂 The only question is: do I have enough crockpots. I've already allocated many of my side dishes to crockpots this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply

  2. Natasha Coleman

    Made this last year and forgot it had to be on 8 hours!!! So this year I have the pot on high. I will update on the result in 5 hours lol!

    Reply

  3. Yokuyst

    My crockpot has something in it now. Can I cook this on top my stove on low heat?

    Reply

  4. Erin

    I followed this recipe exactly, but the end results turned out a brownish color, and the taste was really off. Any idea what the reason could be for that?

    Reply

    • Dara

      Hmm...I'm not sure what went wrong as I haven't experienced that, but I'm sorry to hear that it didn't turn out for you. A few possibilities: 1) It's possible that your LOW setting is a little hotter than mine. Perhaps try cooking it for a shorter time. 2) Were the cut apples sitting out for awhile before going into the crockpot? I'm just wondering if they started to brown before being cooked. 3) Were the cranberries really fresh? I know I've bought bags of cranberries in the past that had some less-than-stellar cranberries in the bunch.

      Reply

  5. Amy

    How many servings does this make? I'm hosting somewhere between 15-20 people, and I'm wondering if I need to double the recipe and/or adjust cooking time if so...

    Reply

    • Dara

      Hi Amy, the recipe makes about 4 cups. So, it all depends on how much your guests like cranberry sauce. If you ration 1/4 cup per person, that would serve approximately 16 people. To be on the safe side, I'd probably make 1 1/2 time the recipe, which may require you to cook it slightly longer. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

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Apple & Cranberry Sauce with Orange & Crystallized Ginger Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to reduce tartness in 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.

How to thicken up homemade cranberry sauce? ›

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.

How to make cranberry sauce Rachael Ray? ›

In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, orange peel, sugar, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the berries bubble until they burst and form a sauce, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the orange peel and cool to room temperature or chill.

Do you serve cranberry sauce hot or cold? ›

Cranberry sauce is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled. (You've got enough things on the menu to warm up! Don't make the list longer!) I tend to make cranberry sauce a few days before Thanksgiving and then set it on the table about an hour or two before we plan to eat.

What cancels out tartness? ›

How Do You Neutralize Sour Taste in Food? If a dish is too sour, add a little bit of sugar! Sweetness balances out sour flavors, so if something makes your mouth pucker, a dash of sugar may help soften the blow of the sour food.

What takes the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›

"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. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."

How to enhance cranberry sauce? ›

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.

How long will homemade cranberry sauce last? ›

When to Toss Cranberry Sauce. Cranberry sauce will last for two hours at room temperature. Homemade cranberry sauce will last in the fridge for 10 to 14 days. Canned cranberry sauce that has been opened will last up to a week in the fridge.

How do you fix too much sugar in cranberry sauce? ›

The sauce acts as a cleansing port in a tumultuous storm of fat and salt, but the effect is lost if the sauce is too sweet. Luckily, there is a very easy way to fix an over-sugared homemade sauce: You just need a little citric acid. Sure, you could add lemon, but that brings its own, cranberry-obscuring flavor.

What are the two types of cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce can be served either as a gooey liquid or as a solid jelly. The jellied version is solid enough to retain the shape of the container in which it's placed whereas the sauce version is much more fluid. The difference between the fluid sauce and the jelly versions comes down to pectin.

What is the difference between whole cranberry sauce and jelly cranberry sauce? ›

The major variation you're likely to come across is "whole berry" versus "jellied." The only difference between them is that the jellied sauce is cooked until the berries have completely broken down. They both slide out of the can as a wobbly red cylinder.

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce runny? ›

You must cook the sauce for at least 10 minutes at a full boil for the pectin to react with the sugar and create the proper gelled texture. It is also important to let the cranberry sauce cool at room temperature. Moving it to the refrigerator too soon may also affect the gel.

Are you supposed to melt cranberry sauce? ›

It's perfectly fine to serve up cranberry sauce — whole berry or jelled — straight out of the can. But in my experience, heating the canned sauce up takes its flavor to the next level. Plus, it becomes a little more aesthetically pleasing.

What is cranberry sauce traditionally served with? ›

Cranberry sauce can be used with a variety of meats, including turkey, pork, chicken, and ham. Cranberry sauce is often eaten in conjunction with turkey for Christmas in the United Kingdom and Canada or Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, and it is only rarely eaten or served in other contexts there.

How many cups are in a can of cranberry sauce? ›

Cranberry sauce, canned, sweetened, 1 cup.

How to make cranberry sauce less tangy? ›

If the sauce is too sour, add more sweetener.

If you find the recipe as written is a bit too tart, keep adding honey 1 tablespoon of honey until you reach your desired sweetness.

How do you fix cranberry sauce that is too sweet? ›

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.

How do you get tartness out of sauce? ›

You can smooth out your sauce and remove the tartness by adding cream, butter, cream cheese, and/or grated cheese such as Parmesan.

What can I add to sauce to make it less tart? ›

Even a small amount of baking soda significantly raises the pH of the sauce. While this reduces acidic taste, it also tamps down on the brightness that gives the tomato complexity.

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