Get Ahead For Christmas (Part 1): Make Your Cranberry Sauce Now

If you are hosting Christmas, cooking Christmas dinner, especially for a crowd, can feel daunting.  However, there are loads of sides, desserts and nibbles that you can make now and freeze to take the pressure off (and remember you can also buy it in!).  Lets start with Cranberry sauce. Cranberries tend to appear in the UK supermarkets in late November.  Cranberry sauce is a really quick and easy dish to make and it freezes really well - just take it out on Christmas Eve and leave it to defrost.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

250g fresh or frozen cranberries
100g orange juice (any carton orange juice will be fine)
Optional: zest of 1 orange
100g caster sugar or light brown sugar

• Wash the cranberries and check for any mouldy ones.
• Place the cranberries in a saucepan with 100g orange juice and 100g sugar. Add the orange zest if you are using it.
• Simmer over a low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the cranberries have broken down and the sauce is thick and glossy (note that the sauce will thicken further as it cools)
• Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional sugar if needed (remember that the sauce should be slightly tart as it is going with a rich meal)
• Cool and serve. Alternatively, to make ahead: cool completely then cover and store in the fridge for 24 hours or place in a freezer bag/container and freeze for up to 1 month