Nina’s Tips and Techniques: Cranberries

Tart or Sweet? How much sugar should I put in my cranberry sauce?

Cranberries are naturally very tart and need sugar to balance their flavor, but typically people make their cranberries too sweet. The reason cranberry sauce tastes so good with your Thanksgiving meal is because Thanksgiving sides are very heavy and rich. Cranberries are tart and acidic, which balances the other flavors on your plate. Think of your cranberry sauce as a condiment more than a side itself. I always err on the tart side, rather than the sweet. Try to get a little cranberry sauce with every bite of your Thanksgiving meal!

Get the recipe: Classic Cranberry Sauce with a Twist of Orange