Instant Pot Manhattan Cranberry Sauce is a unique cranberry sauce with orange juice, pineapple, bourbon and sweet vermouth. Its name, comes from the holiday drink – “Cranberry Manhattan.” The original recipe was given to me by Nancy Kamens who belongs to a Facebook Group I’m in, called, Instant Pot Weight Watcher Recipes . She was kind enough to share the recipe. I told her I would adapt it for the Instant Pot and add my own touches including WW Smart Points.
What’s the difference between cranberry sauce and cranberry relish?
The terms, “cranberry sauce”, and, “cranberry relish,” are often used interchangeably but really they are different dishes. Here are the differences:
Cranberry sauce – the cranberries are cooked until they “pop”, mixed with sugar and other ingredients and typically sweeter.
Cranberry relish – the cranberries are not cooked. The cranberries are chopped, combined with sugar and orange peel. This is usually a tart dish.
Cranberry jelly – this is cranberry sauce but has pectin so it’s a solid jelly.
Personally, I’m a big fan of homemade cranberry sauce. Growing up, one of my grandmothers loved cranberry relish so she often made that. It was a bit too tart for me. However, I never could take the cranberry sauce in a can that you slice. Not for me! Obviously I started out even as a child as a foodie snob! Originally I loved the Ocean Cranberry Spray Cranberry Sauce recipe on the back of the package but later I branched out and created my own.
Does fresh orange zest and freshly grated ginger really make a difference?
Yes, actually it does! Grating only adds a few minutes of your time. Buy yourself a nice microplane grater (paid link) if you don’t have one and grate away. The difference is amazing! It adds a “fresh” tasting aspect to the recipe. Try it and see what you think!
How to make Instant Pot Manhattan Cranberry Sauce in pictures:
Gather your ingredients.
To the Instant Pot combine: cranberries, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, bourbon, and sweet vermouth.
Press, “Sauté,” and heat just a few minutes until boiling. You want to boil off the alcohol on the bourbon and vermouth before you pressure cook it, otherwise it will be bitter.
Turn off Instant Pot. Put on the lid, set the vent to sealing (on the newer models you may not need to do this).
Press manual/high pressure and set for 2-4 minutes. If you like your cranberry sauce, more sauce, then do 4 minutes, if you like to see whole berries, then do 2-3 minutes. When it’s finished, allow to natural release for about 10 minutes, then release pressure.
Add drained crushed pineapple and freshly grated orange zest. Stir well and taste to see if it’s sweet enough. If not, add a bit more sugar but you do want it kind of tart since it is cranberry sauce. Sauté again for just a few minutes. Allow to cool. Refrigerate or freeze. Serve cold or at room temperature. Can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Manhattan Cranberry Sauce tastes best when it’s made a few days ahead.
Instant Pot Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Port Check out my other cranberry sauce with orange juice recipe!
Instant Pot Manhattan Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb cranberries
- 1 c. orange juice
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick broken in half
- 1/2 T. fresh ginger root grated or 1/2 t. ground ginger
- 3 oz bourbon whiskey or brandy
- 1 oz sweet vermouth
- 20 oz can crushed pineapple drained (unsweetened)
- zest from one orange
Instructions
- To the Instant Pot combine: cranberries, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, bourbon, and sweet vermouth.
- Press, “Sauté,” and heat just a few minutes until boiling. You want to boil off the alcohol on the bourbon and vermouth before you pressure cook it.
- Turn off Instant Pot. Put on the lid, set the vent to sealing (on the newer models you may not need to do this).
- Press manual/high pressure and set for 2-4 minutes. If you like your cranberry sauce, more sauce, then do 4, if you like to see whole berries, then do 2-3 minutes. When it’s finished, allow to natural release for about 10 minutes, then release pressure.
- Add drained crushed pineapple and freshly grated orange zest. Stir well and taste to see if it's sweet enough. If not, add a bit more sugar but you do want it kind of tart since it is cranberry sauce. Allow to cool. Refrigerate or freeze. Serve cold or at room temperature. Can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.
