It’s redder than red, it’s sweet and it’s tart, it’s choc-full of bursting cranberries and it’s indispensible on any table that’s holding a Turkey. It’s Cranberry Sauce time!
Why is this my Basic Bitch Cranberry Sauce? If you haven’t already heard the term basic or basic bitch being thrown around, let me lay it out for you; it’s pretty much any woman (rarely, if ever, a dude) who is totally and utterly mainstream and predictable. It’s an insult. So why am I using it?
Because sometimes what is totally mainstream and predictable is actually AWESOME. There’s a reason things get popular, and it’s often that they’re freaking great. The most zeitgeisty example of this would be the Pumpkin Spice Latte. A joke, yes. But a delicious joke.
So this is my totally mainstream, maybe predictable, definitely delicious, Basic Bitch Cranberry Sauce! It’s just cranberries (I used frozen, because that’s all you can get downunder), a little orange juice, a splash of water and some sugar. I go low on the sugar, because I think that a good cranberry sauce should be more tart than sweet. And I only use the juice, not the zest, of the orange for a subtle hit of citrus.
The beauty of this is not only that it is, in my opinion, the perfect Cranberry Sauce. But it’s also super simple and takes about five minutes to make. It keeps well in the fridge for at least 3 days and even longer if you put it in a sterilised jar. It might be basic, but that’s part of it’s charm; it lets every other thing on the table shine through, enhancing everything it touches.
Coming up next? Brown Butter Parker House Rolls!
xx Sarah.
- 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup (110g) caster sugar
- juice of one orange
- 3 tbsp water
- Throw all of the ingredients into a deep saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Cook until the cranberries have burst, about 5-8 minutes.
- The mixture will seem very liquid, but it sets to a soft, jammy consistency as it cools.
- Chill in the fridge and serve!
Hells ya! i would gobble up that basic bitch sauce up, no doubt. I think this is fantastic.
God I love the title and the whole post! Pinned! And I’ve found on my site, the recipes people want, search for, and end up making, are the Basic B*tch ones. Predictable, but true!
Right?! Basic is the best! Thanks for pinning, Averie!
We are serious thanksgiving feast lovers in my family, we love this holiday even more than Christmas! Unfortunately my mom is allergic to oranges and I’m trying to do a completely allergy free spread this year. Any ideas for a non citrus substitute?
Hey Renee! For a non-citrus sub, my first thought it to go for some booze. I think some Cherry Brandy would be awesome, or even some red wine, for a deeper more complex flavour? If you’re looking for a non-booze option, then a splash of cranberry juice would make this a mega-cranberry sauce, or some plain cherry juice would be great too!
Hope that helps!
xx
Sarah
I am so happy to be a basic bitch. I love the tried and true and old fashioned recipes, especially for Thanksgiving. The dishes bring back the best food memories for me. Just call me BB. :)
Haha, I love this comment, Maureen! Basic Bitches for life!
I am deeply passionate about cranberry sauce. I cannot eat Christmas dinner without it, in particular Christmas sandwiches…the holy grail of sandwiches. My American friend introduced me to Thanksgiving dinner two years ago and although similar to Christmas dinner it was the range of side dishes that completely blew me away. SO MANY SIDES. In the best way. Love the theme this week!
Homemade cranberry sauce, basic or fancy, is one of those sides that’s 10,000 times better than the canned version. And this recipe looks super tasty (and easy!). Well done.
Thanks Brandon! You’re 100% right canned sauce is as nothing compared to homemade!
This sauce is totally bitching! I’ve just managed to get my hands on frozen cranberries for the first time ever here in Melbourne, Australia and I’ve been holding off making sauce until I found the perfect recipe…. Helloooo Basic Bitch Cranberry Sauce!
Thanks for sharing, I’m loving all of these delicious sides recipes for the holidays :)
I was so excited when I found frozen Cranberries here in Brisbane, too! Why is it so hard to get Cranberries in Australia?