Canning Cranberry Sauce
This homemade cranberry sauce is perfect for your holiday table. Makes 4 half-pints.
Servings: 4 half pints
Calories: 863kcal
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 863kcal | Carbohydrates: 223g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 208g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg