Cranberry & Port Sauce, the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas turkey and unbelievably simple to make.
I’m going to admit that in the past I’ve usually bought my cranberry sauce to serve alongside my Christmas turkey, but this year I decided that it was high time I got on and made my own.
I’m in charge of dinner this Christmas and I’m planning to make it as low effort as possible whilst still trying to make quite a few things from scratch. I love cooking and could happily while away a few hours in the kitchen cooking a roast, but that’s not what I’m planning on doing on the big day. I want to be in the lounge with my family and a glass of something delicious, opening presents and listening to cheesy Christmas music 🙂 . The great thing about this cranberry and port sauce is that it can be prepared a few days in advance and stored in the fridge ready to get out and pop onto the table, so no effort on Christmas day. Another great thing is that it’s incredibly simple to make, chuck all of the ingredients into a pan, bring them to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes – all that’s needed is the occasional stir. The last great thing about it is that it’s yummy, the port adds a lovely rich flavour which I think goes perfectly with the sharpness of the cranberries.
By luck, on the day I was planning to photograph this recipe a preserving starter kit turned up on my doorstep, a little early Christmas present from Ball Preserving. Their jars are really pretty (can you see the lovely diamond pattern on them in the pictures), which means that you can pop them straight out onto your Christmas dinner table without worrying about decanting them into another dish.
There’s a bit more to the preserving kit than just the pretty jars though, it makes filling and sterilising jars easy and safe (as there’s no need to be handling hot jars) and contains all of the equipment you need. There’s full instructions included but essentially you fill the jars with your hot filling, pop them into the specially designed basket and then boil them to sterilise them, ready to store. I didn’t need to use the full preserving kit for this cranberry sauce as I only make small batches that will be used up quickly, but I’m really looking forward to trying out some of the many recipes on the Ball website as I love homemade jams and chutneys.
If you fancy giving preserving a try then the great news is that I’ve got one of the preserving kits to giveaway or if you can’t wait to see if you’ve won you can buy it here.
Giveaway – Win a Ball Home Preserving Starter Kit Worth £19.99
Once you’re logged into Rafflecopter you’ll find lots of bonus entry options. None of these are mandatory so you can just do the comment bit if you like, but the more you do the more chance you have of winning this amazing prize.
Good luck everyone x
Terms & Conditions
- Closes at midnight (BST) on Sunday 18th December 2016.
- Aged 18+
- UK residents only.
- The prize will be supplied directly by Ball.
- The winner will be notified by email within 48 hours of the closing date. They will have 28 days to claim their prize otherwise an alternative winner will be selected.
- Only one entry per person.
This giveaway has been shared at Prize Finder, Super Lucky and Loquax.
Cranberry & Port Sauce
Active Time: 5 minutes (+ occasional stirring)
Total Time: 25 minutes
Makes about 400ml sauce
Ingredients
- 300g cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- 75g dark brown sugar
- 180ml ruby port
- Zest of 1 orange – finely grated
Method
- Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan (300g cranberries, 75g dark brown sugar, 180ml ruby port, zest of 1 orange). Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency. Stir occasionally.
- Serve or store in jars in the fridge for a few days.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 26 kcal (1%), Fat: 0.0g (0%), Saturated Fat: 0.0g (0%), Carbohydrates: 4.4g (2%), Sugar: 3.9g (4%), Fibre: 0.4g (2%), Protein: 0.1g (0%), Salt: 0.0g (0%)
This is the estimated nutritional information per tablespoon. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you want to learn more about how this is calculated.
Free From/Suitable For…
- Suitable for Vegetarians & Vegans
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Egg-Free
- Corn-Free
- Nut-Free
- Soy-Free
The ingredients for this recipe are easily available free from all these allergens. However, please ensure you double-check allergen information for all ingredients.
I’m sharing this with the following blog challenges… #CookBlogShare with Sneaky Veg, #FreeFromFridays with Le Coin De Mel & Free From Farmhouse and #TheFoodCalendar for Christmas.
I’d make strawberry jam x
I’d make marmalade as I absolutely love it!
I would make a tangy Apple chutney because I have dozens of apples growing on my tree right now and would love to try something new.
I would make a peach chutney
I would use it to make various chutneys and pickles
Apple Chutney with the surfeit of apples we still have from this years harvest!
beetroot chutney id love to trt out
I would make strawberry jam
I ave heaps of frozen blackberries from the summer so some lovely jam
Would have a go making some jams never done before, sounds fab thankyou
Pickle onions, I’ve got a weakness for those
I love a chutney and my last one is running out
Raspberry Jam!
Strawberry jam,I grow loads of strawberries on my allotment.
I’d like to try making some home-made chili tomato chutney.
Strawberry Jam!
Strawberry jam i think
I have an entire book on preserving so I would work my way through it probably starting with apple products as they are still fresh and plentiful.
strawberry jam
I still have lots of apples this year so would be making apple chutney and apple jelly before they start to turn. Always looking for ways to handle hot things safely and this looks a great solution.
Would have to be mango chuntney
I’d love to make some pear chutney!
Strawberry jam
I would make strawberry jam
Sweet Onion Chutney is my favourite!
I would probably make an apple and raisin chutney .x
I’d make onion chutney first with the home preserving starter kit.
Cherry jam
Damson jam
Blackberry conserve – reminds me of my childhood!
I’d make marmalade because my husband loves homemade marmalade
I would make raspberry jam
I’d like to have a go at some damson jam – or maybe greengage
I’d probably make raspberry jam, it’;s my favourite
Strawberry jam
Yummy breakfast marmalade!
i’d like to try the Basil Garlic Tomato Sauce
Apple Jam – we always have a glut and not enough room in the freezer
I would love to make strawberry jam, start it simple.
I’d love to give pumpkin butter or apple butter a try.
Probably some winter chutney
some yummy blackberry jam
strawberry jam
Blackcurrant jam – it’s always been my favourite. x
Strawberry jam
I would make some yummy strawberry jam
Blueberry and apple jam
Mint jelly
I would make raspberry and mint jam
I’d love to make some chutney
I’d make some sweet chilli jam
I would give it my friend she makes her own jams, elderberry, rhubarb etc
My mom will make mixed fruit jam
Strawberry or raspberry jam
strawberry jam
I would make some chutney
I still have loads of raspberries in my freezer so I would make raspberry jam
beetroot chutney
I would make strawberry jam
I ‘ d enjoy making Blackcurrant and Redcurrant Jam first.
Orange marmalade,would be the first thing I’d try to make
I’d make some strawberry jam
Raspberry and pomegranate jam
I think i would make some strawberry jam first!
Plum and chilli chutney with our own home grown plums I froze this year
It would be my nan’s plum jam. No sugar, only fruit. Delicious.
Everyones favourite…strawberry jam.
Would like to make some mincemeat for the mince pies
I think I’d see how I got on with marmalade!
festive chutney and some strawberry and champagne jam
red currant and blackcurrant jam
Strawberry jam first for my girls 🙂
Cranberries and port are a match made in heaven. Just add a bit of sugar and I AM in heaven, he he!
I’m so with you on the low effort Christmas dinner thing! Every year I vow to make things a little easier on myself and then get all carried away and end up spending far too much time in the kitchen and far too little time enjoying myself in the living room with my family! This year, however, it is just the 4 of us and I am determined to keep things easy peasy!!
Love your beautiful pics and gorgeous styling in this one. Cranberry sauce is one of those things you wonder why on earth you ever bought after making your own, isn’t it? It really is so ridiculously easy and I love how it can be made ahead of time, so no extra effort needed on Christmas Day 🙂 Eb x
I cannot believe how simple it is. I always assumed it was more like jam, messing around with thermometers, but it’s one of the easiest things I’ve ever made. Good luck with your low effort dinner x
Chutney, my grandma had a great recipe thats been passed down for years
I think I would go for a red onion and apple chutney. I am such a huge chutney fan.
I would attempt beetroot chutney
apricot jam x
tomato chutney would be lovely.
I would start with redcurrant jelly
Strawberry and champagne jam
I think I’d make a yummy chutney
I would make raspberry jam (I have raspberries in the freezer) My Mum makes the best raspberry jam and one day I hope to do the same.
Marmalade
Beetroot chutney, I’ve seen a recipe I’d love to try.
Strawberry jam
I grow a lot of gooseberries so jam would be good
Would love to try making a Christmassy chutney
I would try making some rhubarb jam
My late aunty Audrey gave me her recipe for lemon curd which I always make at this time of year. I make it for me but also give it as presents so the pretty jars would make them extra special!
Apple & cranberry chutney ~ sounds yum!
Some rhubarb and ginger jam
A spiced apple chutney I think
Raspberry jam, its my favourite!
\Oh plum and dragon fruit jam mmm yummy
Raspberry jam!
My mother in law makes an amazing date and walnut chutney – I’d get her recipe from her and give that a go!
Some blackberry jam
I would try a raspberry gin jam (I have lots of raspberries left over from gin making and interested to see if this would work! Or be a total mess).
My great grandmothers Tomato Chutney.
I would love to make my own strawberry jam, with my own home grown strawberries.x
Raspberry jam
I’d love to have a go at the Curried Apple Chutney
i think id make raspberry jam first – my fave 🙂
Strawberry jam etc
Marmalade as we are coming up to the right time of year!
I use a lot of Chutneys so I think I’d start with a nice Tomato Chutney for starters!Thanks for the opportunity
I would make some strawberry jam
I think I’d try my hand at lemon curd or strawberry jam, our two faves xx
this time of year I would make a christmas chutney
I would like to make Tomato chutney and some Strawberry jam
I think I would make this recipe first, the cranberry and port sauce sounds delicious
I would make some spicy medlar chutney first as this is the season for medlars to ripen on the trees, followed by Seville orange marmalade.
Looks like a gorgeous recipe Charlotte – love the idea of cranberry sauce with port. And the jars are so pretty. Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare
Some kind of chutney – difficult to decide what sort though
Chunky marmalade
some plum jelly
My mum grows strawberries and on her allotment there are loads of blackberries so we would probably make some yummy jam
I would make blueberry jam first!
Used to make jam with mum as a child so would love to do that again – blackberry we used to make
Blackberry Jam as we picked loads this year but they are still sitting in my freezer
I’m making cranberry and chilli jam as presents tomorrow so maybe more of that or some winter fruit chutney! The possibilities would be endless.
I’d start by attempting to make sure Strawberry jam!
I’d make gooseberry jam as that is my favourite!
Definitely Cherry jam! i love cherry anything! Enormous luck everyone!!!
When I was growing up, my family had a market garden and one of the main crops was tomatoes. I’ve had green tomato jam (yum!) but I’ve never tried tomato chutney. Because of that, I’d love to make Ball’s recipe for Sweet Yellow Tomato Chutney – although, if it was to be my first recipe made using Ball’s Preserving Kit, I’d have a long wait until using it as they won’t be in season for a while!!
cranberries
I’d make some raspberry jam. My eldest is really into jam at the moment so I think it would be awesome for us to make some together. 🙂
I’d try pumpkin jam. I always remember my dad attempting to make this and it turned out like toffee
Spiced Apple Chutney, I have a really great recipe
I would make chilli jam!
Raspberry jam x
some caramelised onion chutney
something with mint and tomatoes,thats all I can grow
strawberry jam love it
ooh strawberry jam thankyou
Raspberry jam, love it
a basic strawberry jam, I eat it on toast every day.
I’ve got a lovely-sounding recipe for sloe gin jam I would try.
Sweet onion chutney
it would have to be strawberry jam mmm
I am always getting big bags of reduced price bananas so i would make an Indian Banana chutney
With Christmas just around the corner, I would try making Christmas Chutney!
Rhubarb and ginger jam
Strawberry jam because its my sons favourite 🙂
Love to make some Christmas chutney
Caramelised Onion Chutney
The photos here are just *So* beautiful – I saw it on Facebook and the shot of that gorgeous jar sat on a pewter plate just made me think of something you may find on the banquet table in Narnia! I love the look of Ball preserving jars, they are so retro and sturdy for sterilising over and over again. I’d make a batch of my ambrosia jam if I were to win as it’s one that can be made all year round 😀
I’ve not created Narnia in a picture before, that comment really made me smile 🙂
I’d try that cranberry recipe – looks fab! Next up would then be marmalade
The Cranberry sauce recipe sounds like a good start to me.
I’ve already preserved this year’s crop but I’m looking forward to next year’s (touch wood) raspberry – so it’ll be jam for me!
strawberry jam would be lovely x
i think i would make some cranberry and port sauce as it would ve fab with christmas dinner x
cherry jam
Love to make some chutneys!
I’d like to try the cranberry also onion chutney. Also chilli jam. Lots of lovely things to make and try!
I would make some plum jam first
Damson Jam
I love making chutneys so I would make a tomato chutney
I like to make a caramelised onion chutney – now I’m wondering what I could put in that would work to make it a bit boozy!
My great-grandmother’s Tomato Chutney recipe. Yum!
strawberry jam
Will be using your recipe this year,looks delicious.
Raspberry Jam
I would love to make strawberry jam and also some apple chutney
Mincemeat – mine’s all gone this year!
I would make strawberry jam for my husband
Strawberry jam
Date chutney would be my first go
I think a lovely blueberry jam would be my first attempt 🙂
I would love to make some redcurrant jelly as i have harvested loads from my plot
I think I’d follow your recipe as it sounds perfect to serve with our turkey on Christmas day!