Homemade cranberry sauce, while lacking that familiar sound and shape when putting out canned, gives you a truly flavor-packed condiment with little effort. From left, dried fruit cranberry compote, cranberry chutney and spicy cranberry salsa only take 10 to 15 minutes to make and are a step well above their canned cousin.

There is something to be said for the "splurt" sound made when dumping a can of cranberry sauce into a serving bowl. Ditto for the ridges etched in the sides of the sauce. Thanksgiving, after all, is about tradition.

But the official condiment of Turkey Day can be so much more. And without much more effort.

The easiest way is to simply follow the directions on the back of a bag of fresh cranberries, which usually involves dumping the cranberries, a somewhat scary amount of sugar and a bit of water into a saucepan and boiling until thick.

Getting more creative — and more flavorful — isn't hard. These three quick recipes are jammed with flavor. The first, a cooked chutney-style sauce that sports warm, spicy flavors, is the easiest. The second offers a sweeter take; it's studded with dried fruit.

Or for something a little different, try the third, a spicy uncooked cranberry salsa. The heat of the jalapeno is just enough to complement the other flavors of the meal without competing.

1 small red onion2 cloves garlic1 fresh jalapeno, seeds and veins removed12-ounce bag fresh cranberries½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves1 teaspoon salt½ teaspoon ground black pepper2 small apples, peeled and cored, cut into small chunks2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey2 tablespoons cider vinegarIn a food processor, combine the red onion, garlic and jalapeno. Process until finely minced. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until finely and evenly chopped.

12-ounce bag fresh cranberries1 cup apple cider¼ teaspoon salt¾ cup diced dried apricots¾ cup diced dates¼ cup diced candied gingerIn a medium saucepan over medium-high, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let stand or refrigerate until cooled and thickened.

12-ounce jar mango chutney12-ounce bag fresh cranberries½ cup white wine¼ cup sugarPinch saltIn a medium saucepan over medium-high, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let stand or refrigerate until cooled and thickened.