Rinse and drain the fresh cranberries. Pick off any stems or any bad berries. Then place them in a large sauce pan. Pour in 1 cup of orange juice, granulated sugar, and orange zest.
Mix well and then cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes until the cranberries come to a boil. (As the liquid starts to heat the cranberries will begin to make a "popping" noise. This is totally normal!) Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, stirring often until the berries are cooked down and the liquid has thickened.
Once the cranberries are done cooking. Remove from the heat, mix well and let sit un-covered for 30 minutes. The sauce will naturally thicken. Enjoy immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Fresh Fruit: think of fresh fruit like mango, raspberries, apples, pineapples, and even grapes to your cranberry sauce. Make sure you dice into bite size pieces if you decide to add fruit.
Dried Fruit: dried fruit also works well if you want more texture to your sauce. Think of dried fruits like dried cranberries, cherries, figs, dates, and dried apricots.
Nuts! Yes, you can add nuts to your cranberry sauce if you want texture. Chopped walnuts, pecans, or even cashews can work in cranberry sauce.