Cranberry Sauce

I grew up on canned cranberry sauce and loved it. I didn't get to experience fresh made cranberry sauce till I was an adult. Because it was never made in my home growing up I just got it into my head that it was hard to make. Little did I know how easy it was until I found a recipe for it in Food Network magazine this past November. I made it for Thanksgiving and now I am cranberry sauce crazy.  I could eat this morning, noon, and night.  This recipe is so simple and tasty. It has just the right balance of sweetness and tartness.

Perfect Cranberry Sauce

• 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries (can use frozen as well - I have only used fresh)
• 1 cup of sugar
• orange zest to taste (can also use lemon zest)
• 2 tablespoons of water

Empty cranberries into saucepan with sugar, orange zest, and water. Cook over low heat , stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the cranberries are soft - about 10 minutes. Increase to medium heat and cook until the cranberries burst - about 12 minutes. At this point you can add a half a cup of  cranberries to give it a little more of a tart taste.  Add additional sugar to taste. Cool to room temperature before serving.