The holidays are upon us, and no matter how you like your cranberry sauce, it’s a must-have, classic accompaniment on every table this season. There are some strong opinions out there about which is best, fresh cranberry sauce or canned. I grew up eating the canned stuff, and I must admit, seeing the little ridges from the imprint of the can sliced up and presented on a pretty dish is nostalgic for me. The fresh stuff is good, too, but let’s be honest — it’s a different experience altogether.

Did you know?

● If you lined up all the cranberries produced in North America, the line would stretch from Los Angeles to Boston 565 times.

● Americans consume 400 million pounds of cranberries every year. Twenty percent of that amount (80 million pounds) are consumed during the week of Thanksgiving.

● It takes approximately 200 cranberries to make a can of cranberry sauce.

● Cranberries are typically in season from October until December.

● Only about five percent of cranberries are sold fresh, while the rest are used to produce cranberry juice, cranberry sauce and more.

● Cranberries are 90 percent water and contain pockets of air. These air pockets cause the cranberries to float — perfect for adding into a glass of celebratory champagne for brunch!

I enjoy making fresh cranberry sauce because it’s easy and smells so good while cooking on the stovetop. The lemon juice is the star ingredient in this recipe, inspired by the one and only Ina Garten, which the diced apple adds a bit of tartness and texture. The sugar helps to balance the tartness of the cranberries, and the citrus juice and zest brighten all the flavors. I use cranberry juice instead of water to reinforce the flavor — and the berries simmering on the stovetop really sets the mood for the holidays.

If you’ve never tried making it before, be my guest. Once it reduces and congeals, it thickens into a nice spread for sandwiches, dips and as a topping for turkey. This sauce would also be Some Kinda Good served over softened cream cheese with a side of crackers. Enjoy!

Some Kinda Good Fresh Cranberry Sauce

  • One 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries

  • 1 ¾ cups sugar

  • 1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored and chopped

  • Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

  • Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 cup cranberry juice

Cook the cranberries, sugar and cranberry juice in a saucepan over medium-low heat for about five minutes, or until the berry skins pop open. Add the apple, citrus juice and zests of the lemon and orange, and cook for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until the liquid has reduced. 

Remove from the heat, let cool, and refrigerate. 

Serve chilled.