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1 Comment Want to make your own cranberry compote? This tasty and super-easy recipe will have it done in no time. It is perfect for the holiday season and it goes well with both savory dishes as well as sweet dishes. Serve it with cheese boards as well, instead of a regular chutney.
Why I Love Cranberries
Ah the humble cranberry! I love making this compote, but be sure to check out this festive cranberry cake, the bundt cake with cranberries or delicious scones with cranberries. There is something about the crisp flavor that works so well in all things baked. But it goes equally well with roast meat or even spread on a sandwich.
Cranberry Compote
It’s cranberry time again! I’ve been making this delicious cranberry sauce every cranberry season for years. Super easy, but especially good as a traditional cranberry sauce. A cranberry compote is similar, of course, but a little different. The consistency of the compote is more like jam. Cranberry sauce – as the name suggests – is more of a pourable sauce.
The biggest difference in preparation is that the cranberry compote uses less liquid and more fresh cranberries. This makes the end result much thicker than the sauce. A perfect recipe for so many different things!
What do you need for making the cranberry compote?
You need just a few simple ingredients (check the full list in the recipe card):
- ​Sugar – you can use both brown sugar and white sugar. I like to use white sugar as the color of the cranberries will be more vibrant.
- cranberries – I use fresh cranberries for this recipe. You cannot use dried cranberries to make the compote.
- orange juice – if you want you can also use water but I think the orange adds flavor. A squeeze of lemon juice will also be great to add. You can also add a piece of orange peel to enhance the orange flavor. Apple juice would work as well, but I prefer citrus fruit as it is fresher.
- cinnamon stick
- Star anise
Making the compote
To make the cranberry compote, I use my favorite spices, cinnamon and star anise. You can make it easier to remove the spices by cooking them in a small bag. You don’t have to, you can fish them out, but it’s always a bit of a search to find them. One thing to keep in mind if you just put them in; make sure to use large star anise. And not those little bits and pieces. You will never find them again!
Apart from that, the whole process is quite simple. You put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan, place it on medium-high heat and bring it to the boil. I let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes until all the cranberries are cooked to pieces. The cooking time may vary slightly but usually 30 minutes should be enough.
If you want to store the cranberry compote for a longer time, make sure to place it in sterilized jars and seal them tightly. Keep it in a dark cool place and it will keep for about a year. A great way to keep the cranberries if you have a large batch.
If you want to use it straight away, you can store the cranberry compote in the fridge (let it get to room temperature first!) It will keep for at least a week or two.
FAQ Cranberry Compote
You can keep cranberry compote for at least a year in sterilized jars. In the fridge, in an airtight container, it will keep for about 2 weeks.
The largest producer of cranberries in the world is Ocean Spray in the United States. This is why you will find a lot of Ocean Spray cranberries in the shops.
This little red berry originally comes from America. The species is native there, but is now cultivated all over the world where it is suitable. This includes the Netherlands on a small scale.
The tradition of cranberry compote comes mainly from America, where it is – still – often served with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey.
But this versatile side dish is also delicious with a piece of pork or over a scoop of ice cream. In short, it works with both sweet and savory dishes.
Variations
Although cranberry compote is very simple, it is easy to make variations. For example, it is delicious to add some ginger. You can use a piece of ginger or grated ginger.
Cranberry compote
Ingredients
- 400 g cranberries
- 200 ml orange juice
- 200 g sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 pieces star anise
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tbsp grated lemon zest
Titel
- Place all the ingredients for the cranberry compote in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
- As soon as it comes to the boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer until all the cranberries have burst. If you want to keep the cranberry compote for longer, fill it into sterilized jars immediately and store for up to a year (unopened).
- Otherwise, store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
Notes
- You can make the cranberry compote with fresh or frozen cranberries. Do not use dried cranberries for making this.
- Once made you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. If you’re planning on keeping it for longer make sure to add the hot compote into sterilized jars. If you do it can be kept in a dark place for up to a year
- Add some fresh ginger to the compote for a different flavor
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
As a cranberry addict, this is so so good. Serve with aged cheese, add to roasted meat or just spoon some into your morning breakfast yogurt.