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  • Recipes – Under Construction

Homemade vs. Store Bought Cranberry Sauce

November 13, 2019 by nadia.payne

Did you know that cranberries boast healthy levels of vitamin C, fiber, manganese, and vitamin K, a package of nutrients rarely found in a single food! 

Buying cranberry sauce at the grocery store can come with extra unnecessary ingredients, such as high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is linked to a variety of health problems, including weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

Nutritional Facts Face-Off

We can see there is a significant difference in the nutrition facts between the two sauces. The homemade cranberry sauce has nearly half the calories, carbohydrates, and sugars compared to the store brand. It also has more fiber as well as potassium!

Thankfully, buying cranberry sauce at the store is not the only option. We have the perfect Simple Cranberry Sauce recipe to make for the upcoming holidays!

This simple cranberry recipe is perfect to involve children in the prepping process. Younger children can help with rinsing the fruit and removing any bad looking cranberries. Older children can measure out the wet ingredients. Not only does this recipe allow your family to help in the process, but it is also time-efficient too – only taking 20 minutes from prep to finish! You can make this before Thanksgiving and store it in a sealed container in the fridge. One less dish to worry about!

Keep it Food Safe

This sauce will also likely provide leftovers, just like most Thanksgiving meals. Remember to always store leftover food in the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. 

Leftover Ideas

Leftover cranberry sauce does not need to be limited to Thanksgiving leftovers – enjoy it in a bowl of oatmeal, smoothies, or on a toasted bagel!

Filed Under: Holidays, News

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Texas A&M University System Member

This work is supported by the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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