Lowbush Cranberry Sauce

Name: Lowbush Cranberry Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Northern Canadian
Ingredients: 500 g lowbush cranberries; 200 g Sugar; 120 ml Water; 1 tsp orange zest

A tart, ruby-red sauce made from lowbush cranberries (lingonberries) foraged across the Yukon in late summer and fall, simmered simply with sugar.

🇨🇦Canada· Yukon

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 70 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 4 gathered

Servings

500 g lowbush cranberries — fresh or frozen
200 g Sugar
120 ml Water
1 tsp orange zest

Equipment

•saucepan
•wooden spoon
•storage jars

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 70 kcal
fat: 0 g
carbs: 18 g
protein: 0 g
calories: 70

Instructions

1
Combine cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan.
2
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3
Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15–20 minutes until berries have burst and the mixture has thickened.
4
Stir in orange zest if using, then remove from heat.
5
Cool to room temperature before transferring to jars.
6
Refrigerate or freeze; this sauce is a fridge/freezer preserve, not shelf-stable canned.

Chef's tips

Wild lowbush cranberries are tarter than commercial cranberries, so taste partway through cooking and add a little extra sugar if needed; they also thicken naturally as they cool, so don't overcook expecting a firm set while it's still hot.

Ingredient substitutions

lowbush cranberries → store-bought cranberries, reducing sugar slightly since they are less tart
orange zest → a cinnamon stick simmered in with the berries

Storage

Keep refrigerated in a sealed jar for up to 3 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Reheating

Serve cold or gently warmed in a small saucepan.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Canning this plain sauce in a water bath without added acid or a tested recipe, which is not safe for shelf storage
•Overcooking, which makes the sauce gummy once cooled