Holidays & Entertaining Holidays Thanksgiving 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. By Real Simple Editors Real Simple Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter An article attributed to "Real Simple Editors" indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The REAL SIMPLE team strives to make life easier for you. They are experts in their fields who research, test and clearly explain the best recipes, strategies, trends and products. They have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in lifestyle journalism, including Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, the Food Network, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, POPSUGAR, Rachel Ray Every Day, and Vogue. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 25, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Canned cranberry sauce is 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. RELATED: 12 Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipes to Make This Thanksgiving 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. RELATED: If You'll Be Serving Canned Cranberry Sauce This Year, Here's What You Should Know Getty Images 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 01 of 03 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. 02 of 03 Candied Ginger Arrange strips of candied ginger on top of sliced cranberry sauce. 03 of 03 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit