This sugar-free cranberry sauce adds all of the tartness of cranberries, without all of the white sugar! I opted, instead, for honey and blood orange. With a little cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg? I much preferred this over more traditional versions that go overboard with the sweetness. The key is complimenting and balancing out the tartness. Not overpowering it entirely!
In a medium-sized pot or saucepan, add the cranberries, honey, cinnamon stick, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 5, or until most of the cranberries have begun to pop and the sauce has started to thicken. Stir frequently.
After about 5 minutes of simmering, add the blood orange zest, allspice, and nutmeg.
Simmer for another 2-5 minutes, or until most of the cranberries have popped and it has thickened to the desired consistency.Cranberry sauce should still maintain some shape to the cranberries with a few unpopped ones, but generally be a thick, somewhat gelatinous consistency. Particularly when refrigerated!
Remove the cinnamon stick and serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for future use.This is a great make ahead recipe and keeps very well for quite some time. Honey, cinnamon, and citrus are all natural preservatives. I wouldn't even begin to estimate how long this would keep in the refrigerator. But I suspect that it might ferment before traditionally going bad. Although unrefrigerated it would likely mold.
Tips, Tricks, & Notes
If the cranberry sauce thickens too much or you want an additional citrus flavor, you can add some of the juice from the orange or more water. Start at about 1 tablespoon and adjust to your taste.
Cranberry sauce should be rather tart. But if it is still too tart to your liking, add equal parts honey and water 1 tablespoon at a time.
Alternatively, you can substitute maple syrup, in place of honey.