I don’t know about you, but I was always a fan of cranberry sauce from a can. Maybe it was the shape. Maybe it was the texture. Maybe it was the fact it was sort of (in my younger brain) like apple sauce, and therefore better than the vegetables, but for whatever reason, I have always loved cranberry sauce.

I was first introduced to fresh cranberry sauce while visiting friends in Oxford. Their mom made an amazing traditional roast, and had fresh cranberry sauce as one of the sides. Wow. Just wow. So you’re telling me, it doesn’t have to come out of a can? My favorite Thanksgiving side can be made by me, to my exact specifications, and it’s quick and easy?

Thank you Brits for keeping it real. This makes us even for that whole blood pudding incident.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bag of cranberries, washed
• 1/2 – 1 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you like your sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp. orange zest
• 2 Tbsp. pinot noir

Directions:

1. Add the cranberries, sugar, and water to a medium-sized sauce pan, and bring to a simmer.

2. Once the berries start to burst and the sugar is dissolved, add the orange zest and pinot noir.

3. Cook until the berries are falling apart, and it’s reached your desired consistency. Serve at room temp, or let it cool, and store in the refrigerator for up to a week and a half.