How to Serve Canned Cranberry Sauce

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 3, 2022 Tested

Canned cranberry sauce—made from fresh cranberries that have been cooked, sweetened, and cooked once again—is a holiday staple for many families. It comes in two forms: jellied cranberry sauce and whole-berry cranberry sauce. The only difference between these two is that the jellied version has been cooked long enough for the berries to break down entirely. Both come out of the can as a red, jelly-like cylinder.^{[1]
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Research source} The traditional way to serve canned cranberry sauce is to slice the cylinder into rounds and arrange them on a platter. Go a step further by adding a garnish like sugared rosemary or candied ginger. Or, cook the canned sauce with orange juice and zest for a citrusy take on a holiday standby.

Ingredients

Cranberry Orange Sauce

1 14 fl oz (410 mL) can cranberry sauce (jellied or whole-berry)
2 medium oranges
¹⁄₈ teaspoon (0.62 ml) cinnamon
¹⁄₈ teaspoon (0.62 ml) nutmeg

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Slicing Jellied Canned Cranberry Sauce

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The majority of canned cranberry sauces are meant to be opened from the bottom of the can rather than the top. If you don’t have a can opener, you can also use a kitchen knife to perforate around the edge of the can’s bottom to pry it open.^{[2]
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Run a butter knife around the walls of the can to loosen the jelly. The cranberry sauce often gets stuck to the sides of the can. It will be easier to get it out if you run a knife between the jelly and the inside edges of the can.^{[3]
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- Don’t destroy the cylindrical shape of the cranberry sauce jelly when you loosen it. You want it to retain its shape so you can slice it more cleanly.
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Slide the jelly gently onto a cutting board. Position the can over your cutting board and allow the sauce to drop out the bottom. Canned cranberry sauce resembles the can it was stored in, with ridged edges and a cylindrical shape.
- If you’re having trouble getting the sauce out of the can, you can cut two small holes in the top of the can with a knife, then put your mouth to the holes and suck in while you pull up on the can to help release the suction.^{[4]
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  Research source} If you use this method, discard a slice of jelly from the top of the can to avoid spreading germs.
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Slice the jelly cylinder into ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) rounds. Position the canned cranberry sauce horizontally on your cutting board. Use a knife to cut it into ¹⁄₄ inch (0.64 cm) slices.^{[5]
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- You can repeat this process with as many cans of cranberry sauce as you’d like, depending on how many people you plan to feed. One 14 fl oz (410 mL) can of cranberry sauce contains approximately 6 servings.
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Use a cookie cutter to shape the cranberry sauce, if desired. Once you’ve cut the jelly into slices, you can lay each slice flat on the cutting board and use a cookie cutter to create a shaped piece of jelly. This is optional, but can add a fun holiday flair to your canned cranberry sauce!^{[6]
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- Choose seasonal cookie cutter shapes, like leaves in the fall or snowflakes in the winter.
- If your cookie cutter is small enough, you may be able to cut 2 shapes out of one slice of jelly. Make sure to position the cookie cutters to minimize excess sauce.
Slide the knife or spatula underneath each slice of jelly to move it from the cutting board to the dish. This will be easier than trying to pick up the slippery jelly with your hands.^{[7]
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Arrange the slices on a serving platter. If you have a long, narrow serving dish, lay out the slices in a straight line. Overlap each slice of cranberry sauce about halfway with the slice you just put down. If your dish is circular, lay the slices out in overlapping concentric circles.^{[8]
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- If you cut the jelly with a cookie cutter, don’t overlap the different pieces. Lay them out across a plate so there’s some space in between, making it easier to identify the shapes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Adding Garnishes

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1
Place sugared rosemary sprigs on top of the cranberry sauce slices. Break apart some fresh rosemary into small sprigs. Dip the sprigs into water and lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle them with ¹⁄₂ cup (120 mL) of sugar and allow them to dry. Garnish the cranberry sauce slices with the sugared sprigs of rosemary.^{[9]
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- Use roughly 7 sprigs of rosemary to garnish 1 can’s worth of cranberry sauce slices.
- Try arranging them at alternating diagonal angles to create a zig-zag pattern.
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Top with fresh cranberries and rosemary for a pop of color. Arrange a few sprigs of rosemary on your serving platter for a touch of green against the red of the sliced cranberry sauce. Rinse off a handful of fresh cranberries and scatter those across the serving platter as well.^{[10]
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- Make sure to pick out any mushy cranberries before you add them to the platter.
- Use roughly 7 sprigs of rosemary to garnish 1 can’s worth of cranberry sauce slices.
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Sprinkle candied ginger on your canned cranberry sauce. Cut your candied ginger into strips. Then, sprinkle them along the top of your jelly slices, using approximately 2 strips of ginger per slice of cranberry sauce. You can buy premade candied ginger at most grocery stores.
- You can also make your own at home up to 3 months in advance.^{[11]
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Chop orange zest and thyme, then sprinkle them on the cranberry sauce. Zest an orange using a grater or microplane. Mix the zest together with roughly 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of thyme leaves and chop them coarsely with a sharp knife. Dust the sliced cranberry sauce with this mixture so it’s spread evenly on top.^{[12]
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- Make sure to rinse the thyme leaves before you chop them into the garnish.
- The orange of the zest against with the green of the thyme will create visual interest and dress up the cranberry sauce.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Creating a Cranberry Orange Sauce

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1
Zest and juice 2 medium oranges. Rinse the 2 oranges with clean water. Then, using a grater or microplane, zest them both. Set aside the zest and cut both oranges in half. Juice the orange halves using your hands or a juicer.^{[13]
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- Roll the oranges firmly across your counter or tabletop before you cut them to soften them and make them easier to juice.
2
Combine the cranberry sauce, orange zest and juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Open a 14 fl oz (410 mL) can of cranberry sauce (jellied or whole-berry, depending on your preference) from the bottom and add it to a medium saucepan. Measure out ¹⁄₈ teaspoon (0.62 ml) cinnamon and ¹⁄₈ teaspoon (0.62 ml) nutmeg and add to the pan. Finally, toss in your orange juice and zest.^{[14]
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- Mix the ingredients together using a wooden spoon.
Turn your burner up to medium heat. Keep an eye on the pan, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has just started to boil.^{[15]
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Once the mixture has begun to boil, immediately reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, then turn off the stovetop completely.^{[16]
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Pour the sauce into a serving bowl and let it cool. Transfer the still-warm sauce into a bowl and allow it to cool for several minutes. The sauce will thicken a bit as it starts to cool down. This recipe makes about 15 fluid ounces (440 mL) of sauce.^{[17]
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- Store the sauce in the bowl you plan to serve it in, which will make things simpler when you're ready to serve your meal.
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Chill the sauce in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. Once the sauce has cooled somewhat, put it in the fridge to chill it completely. When you’re ready to eat, just take the bowl out of the fridge and add a serving spoon.^{[18]
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- This dish can be made up to 2 days in advance of your meal.
- This is a great way to spice up the flavor of canned cranberry sauce while still honoring a holiday tradition.