Dried Cherry & Orange Cranberry Sauce Recipe - Ready in 20 Minutes (2024)

FAQs

How long to soak cranberries before baking? ›

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

Both can be used interchangeably in recipes. Cranberries Plain or flavored, dried cranberries are usually sweetened because they're too tart otherwise. They can be substituted for dried cherries in recipes.

Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook cranberries, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes or until all or most berries have burst (careful, there is some splatter) and the mixture is slightly reduced. The longer you cook your cranberries the thicker your mixture will be, but it will also thicken up after standing.

One possibility is that you may not have used enough sugar: Sugar helps the sauce firm up, so be sure to use the full amount called for in a recipe. Another possibility is that the cranberries need to boil for longer, releasing their pectin and ensuring a jelly consistency.

Freezing the berries helps in breaking down the cell structure promoting faster drying. Put the berries on a mesh sheet in the dehydrator and dry for 10 to 16 hours, depending on the make of the dehydrator, until chewy and with no pockets of moisture.

Put your dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the fruit and discard the water. The fruit will be plumper, juicier, and softer.

Soak Dried Fruits First

If you are planning on using dried fruits, it may be a good idea to soak them first. Dried fruits can lose up to 75% of their volume during the drying process according to cookinglight.com. Once they are mixed with the other ingredients they will begin to reabsorb the moisture around them.

Can I substitute dried cranberries in recipes that call for fresh cranberries? Yes, dried cranberries work well in baked goods; however there is a ¼ cup difference in measurement. If a recipe calls for one cup of fresh or frozen cranberries, use ¾ cup of sweetened dried cranberries.

If you have followed these instructions, and for some reason the sauce still won't gel, add 1 envelope of unflavoured gelatin to the sauce and bring to a hard boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook an additional 5 minutes.

Dear Evelyn: I had the same problem when I first started making my own cranberry sauce. I found out that you should cook them just until they pop. Further cooking will make them bitter, and once that happens, you need to start again.

Why is my homemade cranberry sauce watery? ›

Mistake #2: Your Cranberry Sauce Is Too Runny

You may have added too much liquid to the cranberries. In addition to pectin, cranberries contain water, which means you only need to add a splash of liquid to get the cooking going. Add too much and you'll be stirring at the stove much longer than expected.

Add the cranberries to the pot and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst. Stir in the mix-ins, if using: Once the cranberries have burst you can leave the cranberry sauce as is, or dress it up with other ingredients.

What to do if the cranberry sauce is too thin or loose. If you inadvertently added too much water, simply bring the cranberry sauce back to the stove top and bring it to a low boil, cooking it down just a bit to help thicken it up.

Adding a teaspoon or two of fresh lemon or orange zest, a tablespoon of chopped candied peel, or even a splash of juice to your canned sauce will brighten flavors and bring in some homemade flavor.

If you are planning on using dried fruits, it may be a good idea to soak them first. Dried fruits can lose up to 75% of their volume during the drying process according to cookinglight.com. Once they are mixed with the other ingredients they will begin to reabsorb the moisture around them.

You can rehydrate dried cranberries by covering with water, or another liquid, in a microwavable bowl. Cover and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds; let stand 5 minutes. Or, pour very hot liquid over dried cranberries and let stand 20 minutes.

Wait 10 to 30 minutes for your cranberries to soak in the water or juice and rehydrate. When they are done, they will be plump and round. Some cranberries may rehydrate more quickly than others depending on how dry and old they are.