Rinse your cranberries. Pick them over and discard any brown or overly wrinkly ones.
Place the cranberries, sugar and water in a deep saucepan.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
Boil for about 20 minutes. The cranberries will "pop" and release the pectin they contain. This pectin will thicken the sauce as it cools. Continuing to boil for a few extra minutes will result in a thicker sauce,.
Store in a glass container in the refrigerator. Keeps for several weeks.
Freeze for longer storage. Be aware that if frozen it may "weep" liquid upon thawing.
Enjoy with your Thanksgiving turkey or year round!
Notes
* You can use almost any sweetener you desire. Remember though that honey (NOT vegan) is more dense than sugar so use less! Maple syrup (vegan) has a similar sugar concentration per cup to granulated sugar. You can also reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe to your taste. Orange juice can be substituted for some of the sugar. It will make a luscious cranberry orange sauce.