Orange Cranberry Sauce
A simple, anti-inflammatory side dish that adds a burst of color and flavor to your holiday meal.
Cranberry sauce is surprisingly easy to make at home. Plus, cranberries are naturally packed with antioxidants like proanthocyanidins (PACs). This recipe adds another antioxidant boost with orange juice, which is rich in vitamin C and hesperidin. Antioxidants help fight oxidative stress that can lead to inflammation and negatively impact egg and sperm quality. So while you're enjoying its sweet-tart goodness, you may also be supporting your reproductive health (as part of an overall nutritious dietary pattern!).
To reduce excess added sugars that can exacerbate oxidative stress (when consumed frequently), this recipe replaces about half the traditional sugar with the natural sweetness of orange juice, and adds just enough sugar so it doesn’t make your mouth pucker. This keeps the flavor balanced—not too tart, not too sweet—while enhancing the potential anti-inflammatory benefits of the dish.
And if the jellied canned version is your favorite, that's totally fine! One dish, one meal or one day won't significantly impact your fertility; it's consistent habits over time that make a difference. But if you're curious to try this lower-sugar version, it's not just for Thanksgiving—use it as a spread on sandwiches, dolloped onto yogurt-granola parfaits, or stirred into oatmeal for a seasonal twist.
Makes: ~2 cups
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
12 oz fresh cranberries, washed and drained
½ cup orange juice (4 oz)
½ cup water (4 oz)
⅓ cup granulated sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
1 cinnamon stick
Directions
In a medium saucepan, add the cranberries, orange juice, water, sugar, and cinnamon stick.
Cover with a lid and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir halfway through cooking (around the 5-minute mark).
After 10 minutes, remove the lid, stir again, and take the pan off the heat.
Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes. It will thicken as the liquid is absorbed.
Transfer the sauce to a serving dish or a glass storage container. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Lasts about a week in the fridge, or longer in the freezer.
