Cranberry Pear Sauce
Cranberry Pear Sauce: Why buy store bought cans of cranberry sauce when it’s super easy to make it yourself? This delicious homemade cranberry pear sauce has chunks of fresh pears and cranberries, with a hint of spices and a touch of orange zest. Sweet and tangy, the perfect accompaniment to your holiday turkey or prime rib.
How to Make Cranberry Pear Sauce
Convenience, that’s what draws us to store bought products. Not this time. When all it takes to make homemade cranberry sauce is adding everything to a pot and letting it simmer I’m in! Because we all know homemade is ALWAYS better.
INGREDIENTS (full printable recipe below)
- Pears (I used Bosc)
- cranberries
- sugar
- lemon juice
- orange peel
- cinnamon
- all spice
How to Serve Cranberry Pear Sauce
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX: This cranberry sauce recipe makes a lot (6 cups), so unless you’re expecting a large group you will most likely have leftovers. I recommend dividing the sauce into the amount you’ll need for dinner and the extra amount. Set aside the extra and freeze. Below are a few ideas about how the cranberry pear sauce can be transformed into holiday appetizers.
- CRANBERRY PEAR CHEESE BALL: Mix together, cranberry pear sauce, cream cheese, and chopped nuts. Click here for the recipe→CRANBERRY PEAR CHEESE BALL
- HOLIDAY CHARCUTERIE BOARD: With all the savory items (cheese, meats, olives etc.) for a nice balance, add a pop of sweetness to the board. Spoon some of the sauce into a small bowl next to the ham. Have you ever had a ham sandwich with jelly? It’s delicious! Click here for the recipe→HAM AND BLACKBERRY JAM
- SPICE IT UP: Have you ever had a sweet chili sauce dip? All you do is pour sweet chili sauce over a block of cream cheese. Quit possibly the easier appetizer EVER! This idea is a twist on that dip. This depends on how spicy you want your dip and how much sauce you have to work with. Pour the leftover Cranberry Pear Sauce into a saucepan, add red pepper flakes (TIP: start out only adding a little bit you can always add more but you can undo what you’ve added), I recommend ¼ teaspoon. Heat long enough for the pepper flakes to infuse into the sauce. Now you have homemade sweet chili sauce!
How to Store Cranberry Pear Sauce
- REFRIGERATOR: Store cranberry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to
- FREEZER: Pour into a freezer safe zip to bag (make sure all the air is out) and label. Freeze flat. Will stay fresh in the freezer up to 3 months.
Homemade Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce
How to Make Fresh Cranberry Pear Sauce Year Round
You can find fresh pears year round. That’s not the case with fresh cranberries. I recommend buying a few extra bags of fresh cranberries when they’re in season. Pour the cranberries in a freezer safe zip to bag and freeze. I’m sure the freshness recommended time is short (3-6 months). I used cranberries I froze a year ago to make this holiday sauce favorite and the berries are perfect! So, use your judgment for frozen berries.
Homemade Cranberry Pear Sauce
Not only does this sauce compliment turkey it can also be transformed into several different appetizers!
Ingredients
- 6 cups ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used Bosc)
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely shredded orange peel
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- In a 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven, combine the pears and cranberries.
- Stir in sugar, water, lemon juice, orange peel, cinnamon, and allspice.
- Cover and bring to a boil on medium high heat.
- Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, remove lid and simmer 30 - 35 minutes (occasionally stirring) or until mixture is thickened.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve cold.
- Makes 6 Cups
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I absolutely love this recipe, and make it every year for the holidays! We are trying our hand at canning, so I was wondering if you had any info on how to properly can this sauce? I appreciate you!
Hi Kathryn, I’m so glad you like the recipe. No, I don’t have any advice. But if you google how to can cranberry sauce you will find a lot of articles.