Start a new tradition for the family Thanksgiving table by adding another fall fruit with this easy and delicious cranberry pomegranate sauce. Find more of my pomegranate recipes.
Every year for Thanksgiving I like to mix a bit of family favorite recipes with new ones. One of my favorite dishes on the Thanksgiving spread is the cranberry sauce. I never go with the crappy canned stuff, and I never just dollop a spoonful on my plate.
No, cranberry sauce always gets significant real estate on my plate, and I like to serve it as a condiment for other meals too. It works beautifully with roast pork, chicken or fish. So don’t knock my favorite relish.
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Why this recipe is so awesome
Because of my family’s obsession with pomegranates, I started adding them to my cranberry sauce. And now I don’t make cranberry sauce any other way!
Two of fall’s most glorious fruits are cooked together to make one heck of a delicious sauce. It is easy to whip up, only requires 4 ingredients, can be made ahead of time and lasts for a long time.
Oh, and did I mention it is ridiculously delicious?! I use this sauce with my holiday turkey, but you can serve it with any white meat like a pork tenderloin or roast chicken.
Ingredients you need
- Pomegranate: You can add as much or as little pomegranate to the mix. I start with about one heaping cup, which you can get from one large pomegranate.
- Pomegranate juice: For more pomegranate flavor, I add pomegranate juice.
- Cranberries: One bag of cranberries is used in this recipe. It can be fresh from the grocery store or from frozen cranberries.
- Sugar: I usually use regular granulated sugar, but you can also use brown sugar or honey. I also like my pomegranate sauce a little on the tart side, so this sauce isn’t overly sweet.
Step-by-step directions
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- Prep the cranberries. Wash and clean cranberries, picking out any rotting or bad fruit and place in a small pot.
- Add sugar. Add pomegranate juice and sugar and bring to boil, about 7 minutes.
- Simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Chill. Remove from heat and let sauce cool for 5 minutes. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Once cooled or prior to serving, stir in pomegranate arils. Yup, it’s that easy.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQS
Although you can buy already shucked pomegranate in the grocery store, it is so much better to seed one yourself. Don’t worry, I show you how to simple it is to cut a pomegranate. While the cranberries are cooking, cut open and seed the pomegranate.
You can also seed the pomegranate several days before adding them to the cranberry sauce. Just store the arils in a resealable container.
Serve with your favorite roast. And check out my family’s favorite thanksgiving recipes:
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Cranberries are highly acidic, which discourages bacteria growth. Cranberry sauce can be made and refrigerated at least two weeks before serving, and leftovers are likely to stay fresh for another two weeks.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Inside the pomegranate fruit, you will find segments filled with ruby red arils. These arils include a little white seed. The seed is edible and is rich in fiber.
Absolutely! Because cranberries are highly acidic, they discourages bacteria growth. This means you can make cranberry sauce up to two weeks in advance.
Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add cranberries, pomegranate juice and sugar and bring to boil, about 7 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and let sauce cool for 5 minutes.
- Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
- Prior to serving, stir in pomegranate arils.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
I love them too. A friend of mine often serves them with bubbly wine for special occasions. And the seem like a great fruit to blend in with cranberries.