1. Sort through cranberries and remove any soft berries, stems, or debris. Rinse in a colander under cold water.

2. Zest the orange using a microplane or fine grater, removing only the bright orange outer layer. Avoid the white pith.

3. Juice the oranges to yield 1 cup juice. Strain out seeds but keep the pulp.

4. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine orange juice, sugar, orange zest, and salt. Stir to combine.

5. Place pan over medium-high heat and bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves completely (3-4 minutes).

6. Add all cranberries at once and stir gently to submerge in liquid. Add cinnamon stick if using.

7. Continue cooking over medium-high heat. Within 2-3 minutes, cranberries will begin to pop.

8. Once popping begins, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes total, stirring every 2-3 minutes.

9. For chunky sauce, cook 10 minutes. For smoother sauce, cook 15 minutes and mash with potato masher.

10. Sauce is done when thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. It will continue thickening as it cools.

11. Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon stick if used. Stir in ginger or vanilla extract if using.

12. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

13. Transfer to a clean glass jar or storage container. Cool to room temperature (about 1 hour).

14. Cover and refrigerate overnight for best flavor development. Serve chilled or at room temperature.