Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce With Port and Orange
- Total Time
- 3 to 3½ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 24ounces fresh or frozen, thawed cranberries (about 5 cups)
- 1½cups packed light brown sugar
- ½cup ruby or tawny port
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- Kosher salt
- Slow Cooker Method
- Stovetop Method
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Preparation
Slow Cooker Method
- Step 1
Put the cranberries into a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Scoop out about ¾ cup of the berries and finely chop. Set aside. Stir the sugar, port and half the orange zest into the slow cooker. Season with a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Step 2
Stir the cranberry sauce well and set the lid back on the slow cooker so there is a 1- to 2-inch gap, to allow for evaporation. Cook on high for another 1½ to 2 hours, stirring at least twice, taking care around the edges, until many of the berries have popped and the sauce has thickened and is syrupy. Stir in the reserved chopped cranberries and the remaining orange zest. Spoon the cranberry sauce into a serving bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Stovetop Method
- Step 3
Put the cranberries into a medium saucepan. Scoop out about ¾ cup of the berries and finely chop. Set aside. Add the sugar, port and half the orange zest into the pan, and stir. Season with a generous pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until many of the berries have popped and the sauce has thickened and is jammy and syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the reserved chopped cranberries and the remaining orange zest. Spoon into a serving bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Private Notes
Comments
It was quite booze-y with the port. I did it again without, and much prefer it that way. It's a nice, easy option for prepping cranberry sauce without taking over a burner on the stove-top. The third time I made this (for Christmas), I mixed chopped apple (2 apples, 1 inch pieces) with the cranberries and used maple syrup and a cinnamon stick - voila! it was perfect.
I liked the consistency of these berries a lot! Used a pot w/ lid in oven v crock-pot for less time. Already had oven on to roast chickens and veggies anyway — be energy efficient and fill it up! The cranberry flavor mellowed and turned them into a thick, delicious compote. Since I don’t care for overly-boozy cranberry sauce, for liquid I mixed med dry red wine w/ orange juice. Along with the chopped uncooked berries, I like to toss in some dried cranberries too.
MOST excellent. Needs several hours in the slow cooker to gel and I cut back some on the sugar, but the combination of sweet/sour/port is really good!
Really nice, super easy (on the stove, so I cannot imagine it any easier in the slow cooker). One thing I don’t understand: why not also use the juice of the orange? I did, and it was great. And it needs the additional liquid.
This is the best cranberry sauce I have ever had! The port really elevates the flavor into something extra special, and the slow cooker method is so much easier than the stove top. This is my forever cranberry sauce recipe.
Great taste, easy. At the end, it was a little thick for me, so I added a little water. I just did 1 tbsp at a time until I got the consistency I wanted. This will be my new go to cranberry sauce recipe. Delicious.
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