Canning Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry sauce is a holiday staple, but have you ever tried making your own? This canning cranberry sauce recipe is easier than you might think, and the flavor is far superior to anything you can buy in a can. Make sure that the jars are properly sealed. This will make sure that your sauce stays fresh and delicious for months to come.
This recipe uses waterbath canning, and I’ll walk you through the steps.
Canning Cranberry Sauce
Equipment
- 4-6 qt saucepan
- food processor
- Mason jars
- Debubbler
- Candy thermometer
Ingredients
- 8 cups cranberries
- 3 ½ cups water
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 packet powdered pectin optional
Instructions
- Prep jars. Prepare jars for canning by washing them with hot, soapy water. Rinse and transfer them to a waterbath canner. Fill the canner until the jars are fully submerged in water. Place them over medium-low heat, cover, and allow them to simmer. Wash your lids and rings, place them on a towel, and set aside.
- Cook cranberries. In a saucepan, add the cranberries and water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Cool. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Process and strain. Working in batches, process the mixture through a food processor, making sure it is nice and smooth. Then, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.
- Add sugar and pectin. Transfer the cranberry mixture to the saucepan. Add the sugar and pectin (if using; see notes for why), and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly to dissolve the sugar completely.
- Boil to gel. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a hard rolling boil, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to the gel stage or 220 degrees F. You can track that using a candy thermometer. If you do not have one, place a plate in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove the plate from the freezer and drop a teaspoon of the mixture onto the plate. It is ready if you can drag your finger through without the mixture running. If the mixture runs, boil for a few more minutes and test until the mixture does not run. Once it hits the gel stage, remove it from the heat.
- Fill jars. Transfer the jars from the waterbath canner and place the canning funnel over a jar. Ladle the hot liquid into the hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Repeat this process for all 4 half-pint jars.
- Debubble and wipe rims. Using your debubbler, remove any bubbles. Using a clean, damp towel, wipe the rims.
- Process. Add the lids and rings, tightening them until they are fingertip-tight. Transfer them into a waterbath canner. Fully submerge the jars in water with 2-3 inches above the jars. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Once the water hits a full rolling boil, set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Cool. Once the timer goes off, remove from heat, remove the lid, and allow the jars to cool for 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner, place them in a heat-safe area, and allow them to cool for 12-24 hours.
- Check seals. After 24 hours, confirm a proper seal has been made by checking the centers to see if the center pops up. If it does not, place the jar in the fridge and use it within 5 days. Once a proper seal has been confirmed, remove the rings and store them in a cool, dark place for 12-18 months or per your lid manufacturer’s recommendations.
Notes
- For a thicker consistency, add pectin. It will give the mixture a firmer consistency.
- You can skip the food processor step if you want the cranberry pulp in the sauce.
- Add 2 tbsp of orange zest to the cranberries when cooking for an added citrus flavor.
I’m not a massive fan of the jellied sauce in a can. It’s just… shivers …too jiggly for me. But this homemade sauce is an entirely different story! It’s tart, sweet, and has the perfect texture.
I love making a big batch in the fall and enjoying it throughout the holiday season.
Key Ingredients and Tools
Here are a few things you’ll need to make this:
- Cranberries. Fresh cranberries are best for this recipe, but frozen cranberries can be used in a pinch. You’ll usually find them in the produce section of the grocery store.
- Candy thermometer. A candy thermometer helps you accurately measure the temperature, which is important for achieving the correct consistency.
- Powdered pectin. Pectin helps the sauce to thicken. You can usually find it in the baking aisle near the canning supplies. If you don’t have any, you can use cornstarch as a substitute.
- Food processor. A food processor makes it easy to puree the cranberries. You can use a blender or potato masher if you don’t have one.
Having the right tools will make the canning process much smoother.
Troubleshooting and Help
Absolutely! Frozen cranberries work just fine. Just make sure to thaw them completely before you start cooking. Give them a good rinse to get rid of any excess ice crystals.
Don’t worry. There are a few things you can do. First, make sure you cooked it long enough to reach the gelling point (220 degrees F on a candy thermometer or the “freezer plate test”). Remember, it will also thicken a bit as it cools. If it’s still too runny after cooling, gently reheat it and cook it a little longer.
You can definitely use less sugar! Start with 3 cups instead of 4. Taste it and add a little more if you want it sweeter.
No problem! You can still make this recipe. Just chop the cranberries very finely by hand. It might take a little extra time, but it’s doable. Or, if you have a potato masher, you can use that to get a smoother consistency.
If you have any more questions, leave me a comment below. I’m happy to help.
I hope you enjoy this recipe better than the store version as much as I do. This has the perfect texture and combination of sweet and tart. It’s a classic holiday side dish that’s surprisingly easy to make and will impress your family and friends.
By Katie Shaw
Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.