Rinse the cranberries throughly in a colander and pick through them carefully, discarding any that are soft or bruised. Pour the cranberries into a medium sized saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir all the ingredients together until well-mixed then bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and simmer until most of the cranberries have popped, but some still remain whole, about 10-15 minutes. Remove sauce from the heat and cool to room temp.

Remove the whole spices and strips of orange peel then refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve. It will thicken considerably as it cools. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week and only get more flavorful as it sits, so it's a great side to make several days ahead of time!