Cabernet Cranberry and Currant Sauce — Make your own EASY homemade cranberry sauce in 30 minutes!! This unique cranberry sauce recipe will be the star side dish of your holiday meal! Cranberries are so much BETTER with wine!!
Unique Cranberry Sauce Recipe
I have a recipe for Red Wine Cranberry Sauce that’s been insanely popular over the years.
It’s a reader favorite and every year around the holidays I receive glowing comments and emails saying how that cranberry sauce was the star of their holiday meal or they make a double batch every year because it’s so good or that everyone wanted to know where they got the recipe.
With praise like that, I had to put a fun twist on that family favorite and did so by pairing fresh cranberries with cinnamon, cloves, cabernet, and for a new twist I used Hero Red Currant Fruit Spread.
Hero, established in 1886 in the quaint village of Lenzburg, Switzerland has become the gold standard of Gourmet Fruit Spreads around the world among professional chefs and discerning consumers alike. Hero should be your first choice for quality every time because there’s more fruit and more unique varieties.
There are no artificial flavors, colors, ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, or preservatives. It makes me feel good I’m serving my family and friends the very best in quality and taste. Spreading the goodness over the holiday season.
Find it in the jam aisle of your local markets including Shop Rite, H.E.B, Harris Teeter, Stop & Shop, ACME, King Kullen, Price Chopper and Key Foods. Check out their recipe page for fun recipes you can create.
What’s in the Fresh Cranberry Sauce?
Making cranberry sauce requires fewer ingredients that you might think! Here’s what you’ll need for this unique cranberry sauce recipe:
- Cranberries
- Blueberries
- Cabernet sauvignon
- Granulated sugar
- Hero Red Currant Fruit Spread
- Cinnamon and ground cloves
What Type of Wine Should I Use?
If you’re into wine, you’re going to go head over heels for this sauce. Use your favorite cabernet or another red wine, like merlot or shiraz.
Can the Wine Be Omitted?
I don’t know how much alcohol cooks off and how much doesn’t. I would surmise most is cooked off, but it’s your call if this is appropriate for you or your family members.
I put it into the same category as beer bread. There’s not enough and it’s stretched over too many servings, and it’s heated anyway, so no one will be catching a buzz from cranberries. Darn.
If you’re strongly opposed to cooking with wine, substitute it with water or even freshly squeezed orange juice. Note that both will alter the flavor of the cranberry sauce.
How to Make Fresh Cranberry Sauce
This unique cranberry sauce recipe is supremely easy, ready in 30 minutes, and you’ll never need (or want) to use the canned stuff again.
Simply add everything to a pot, stir intermittently, and 30 minutes later, you’ve got a rich sauce with supreme flavor.
While it simmers, the scent of the wine reducing with the cinnamon and berries is heavenly. You don’t need scented candles with this simmering!
The cranberry sauce is like drinking wine and eating jam all in one, with texture, sweetness, tartness, and juicy berries in full force.
The Hero Red Currant Fruit Spread adds a perfect amount of sweetness and interesting depth of flavor to the cranberry sauce. Optionally add blueberries for even more flavor complexity.
Can Cranberry Sauce Be Frozen?
Yes! Cranberry sauce freezes incredibly well. Let the sauce chill in the fridge for a couple hours to set fully, then seal in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. The sauce will last up to three months in the freezer.
Can Cranberry Sauce Be Canned?
Many people have asked over the years about canning this recipe — or shall I say the recipe it’s adapted from — and I haven’t and cannot give the particulars.
However, I know it has been done successfully and if you’re a canner, you’ll likely know how long to process it and so forth.
What to Do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce
Leftover cranberry sauce pairs well with baked chicken breasts or whole roasted chicken, spooned over Brie to make cranberry baked brie, or baked into cranberry oatmeal bars!
In general, cranberry sauce pairs nicely with white meats like turkey and chicken. Spread it onto sandwiches and wraps using meal prepped poultry or deli meat, or dollop some sauce onto your dinner plate.
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Cabernet Cranberry and Currant Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bag fresh or frozen cranberries
- 4- ounces fresh or frozen blueberries, optional (no need to thaw, add straight from freezer)
- 1 cup cabernet sauvignon, or shiraz, merlot, or a favorite red wine
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup Hero Red Currant Fruit Spread
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
Instructions
- To a high-sided medium/large stockpot, add all ingredients, and bring to a rolling boil, stirring intermittently. Make sure pot has room for sauce to at least triple in volume. The juices from the berries release and as the mixture boils rapidly, it will foam and a too-small pot will easily overflow.
- Reduce the heat to low and allow sauce to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until reduced and thickened slightly, and most of the cranberries have burst. Sauce will thicken more as it cools.
- Transfer to heat-safe jars or containers with lids. Allow sauce to cool at room temperature before refrigerating. Sauce will keep airtight in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.
- Adapted from Cabernet Cranberry and Blueberry Sauce
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
Spiced Cranberry Sauce with Apples — Spice up your holiday celebrations with this scrumptious FAST and EASY homemade cranberry sauce that’s made with cranberries, apples, apple cider, cinnamon sticks, and allspice for the PERFECT must-make side dish! A lovely balance of sweet-yet-tart with warmly spiced flavors so you’ll never want to think about using store bought sauce again!
Red Wine Cranberry Sauce — Move over, boring cranberry sauce! Cranberries are so much better with blueberries and wine! Make your own sauce in 30 minutes and so easy!
20 Easy Thanksgiving Recipes — Turkey may be the star of the show but these sides, drinks, and desserts will give the bird a run for its money! Easy, tried-and-true crowd favorites that you need to put on your holiday menu!
Post is brought to you by Hero Fruit Spread. I was provided with product for this post. The recipe, text, images, and opinions expressed are my own. www.herofruitspreads.com
I saw fresh cranberries this past weekend and thought about that wonderful cranberry blueberry sauce of yours that I have made many times!! I’ll give this one a try–I know it will be fantastic:).
It has been hard for me to get fresh cranberries this year. I have really had to do some searching but they’re finally showing up. I am so glad you love the cranberry blueberry sauce and LMK if you try this one!