How to Serve Canned Cranberry Sauce

Enjoy our tips for prepping cranberry sauce from a can, plus a few simple ideas for doctoring it this Thanksgiving.

Canned cranberry sauce is a household tradition, and for good reason. There's really no reason to make homemade if your family has been enjoying the slices of store-bought canned cranberry sauce for years. But what is in canned cranberry sauce?

Canned cranberry sauce is made with fresh cranberries that are cooked in water, sweetened, cooked again until the berries have broken down, and poured into cans. Ingredients typically include cranberries, corn syrup, water, and citric acid (a preservative). Interestingly, canned cranberry sauce does not contain gelatin or pectin because cranberries themselves have a high pectin content.

Read on for tips on prepping canned cranberry sauce and how to impress guests when you serve it.

Preparing Canned Cranberry Sauce

Most (if not all) canned cranberry sauces are actually meant to be opened from the bottom of the can. After opening with a can opener, run a knife around the jellied sauce to loosen it from the can. Gently slide the jelly onto a platter.

canned-cranberry-sauce-recipes
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Serving Canned Cranberry Sauce

The most traditional way of serving canned cranberry sauce is sliced into rounds. Begin by slicing the canned cranberry sauce into ¼-inch thick rounds. For an added personal touch, use cookie cutters to cut out cute fall shapes. Arrange the slices on a serving platter, then try one of these suggested toppings.

3 Simple Canned Cranberry Sauce Recipes

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Sugared Rosemary

Canned Cranberry Sauce Sugared Rosemary

Dip rosemary sprigs in water, then sprinkle with sugar. Let dry on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Arrange on top of sliced cranberry sauce.

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Candied Ginger

Canned Cranberry Sauce With Candied Ginger

Arrange strips of candied ginger on top of sliced cranberry sauce.

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Orange and Thyme

Canned Cranberry Orange and Thyme

Combine orange zest and thyme leaves on a cutting board and coarsely chop. Use the mixture as a garnish for the sliced cranberry sauce.

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