How To Make Cranberry Sauce 2016: Easy Thanksgiving Recipes For The Perfect Feast [VIDEO]

Adding a small splash of crimson to a Thanksgiving spread, cranberry sauce is a staple of many feasts on turkey day in America. Whether from a can or made at home, the sauce adds a refreshing tang to the show.

For those who want to try their hand at making cranberry sauce at home — it is quite easy — finding the right recipe can be important especially if it is going to stand out compared to the run of the mill canned sauce from the store. Below are a few recipes to consider ahead of the holiday.

Classic Cranberry Sauce: By far the simplest of the recipes on this list, making classic cranberry sauce requires a 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries, one cup of sugar, one strip of orange or lemon zest and two tablespoons of water.

To make, add the cranberries to a saucepan and remove about a 1/2 cup of the berries and put aside for later. Combine the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries become soft (about 10 minutes). Then, increase the temperature to medium and cook until the cranberries burst, or about 12 more minutes. Then return the mixture to low and stir in the remaining cranberries. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste before cooling it to room temperature for serving.

Ginger Cranberry Sauce: This recipe combines one pound of frozen or fresh cranberries in a saucepan alongside 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/3 cup of light brown sugar, two teaspoons orange zest, ¾ cup orange juice and one tablespoon ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat and simmering while stirring occasionally. Keep the heat on until the sauce thickens and the cranberries burst (about 15 to 20 minutes).

Spiced Cranberry Sauce: To start this recipe, grab a four inch square of cheesecloth and put two whole star anise and four whole allspice berries inside and tie into a sachet. Then, in a medium pot over medium heat mix ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup orange juice and ¼ cup water. Add the sachet and stir until the sugar melts and liquid bubbles begin.

Remove the liquid and allow it to steep for 10 minutes before returning the pot to medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces of cranberries and zest strips from ½ orange and cook the mixture until the cranberries begin to pop. After removing the sachet, chill the container for at least an hour.