Canning Cranberry Sauce
Grab your fresh cranberries and make this homemade canning cranberry sauce for the holidays! Perfect, of course, for Thanksgiving, but also for gifting or enjoying the taste of cranberries year-round.
I love making this spiced cranberry sauce before Thanksgiving, so you have one less thing to do on the stove. It’s shelf-stable, so you can make a few jars in October as soon as fresh cranberries hit the store.
These cranberry jam jars are also perfect for gifting; pair them with some fresh whole wheat apple scones, and a jar of stovetop potpourri for teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, and more.
I prefer making my own cranberry sauce because I can control the texture and spices, and once you try homemade cranberry jam, it’s hard to go back to any store-bought version.
Why I love this recipe
This sauce is fantastic if you like to enjoy cranberries all season long– try this jam in yogurt, oatmeal, in sandwiches, on cranberry orange muffins, or anywhere you want a sweet, tart taste.
As a dietitian, I love cranberries because they provide fiber and polyphenols, including proanthocyanidins, a type of polyphenol found in cranberries that supports urinary tract health. It’s the proanthocyanidins that prevent E. coli bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract, plus cranberries taste delicious.
Ingredient Notes
- Fresh or Frozen Cranberries: You can use either! If you decide to use frozen, don’t thaw them first; just add them right to the sugar mixture
- Sugar: You need sugar! There is no added pectin, so the sugar helps to set the sauce and cuts the tartness of the cranberries. You can reduce the sugar if needed, as you don’t need the sugar for safety, but reducing it will change the texture.
- Orange zest: This is what gives this cranberry sauce so much flavor. I added the zest of two oranges, as I love the cranberry-orange combination (try my cranberry orange bread if you feel the same!), but you can reduce the zest to just 1 orange.
- Spices: Cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves, and ginger. It’s what makes this cranberry sauce the absolute best, perfect for fall! You can cut the spices if you want a plain cranberry sauce as it doesn’t change the safety.
- Butter: This is optional to help cut the foam from the bubbling of the cranberries, but you can use regular butter or vegan butter.
How to Make this Lower-Sugar
You can cut the sugar to 2 cups if you want, but less sugar will change the sauce’s flavor and texture. I don’t recommend using 2 cups, as I think 3 cups give it a really nice texture and flavor, but you can if you want. Just expect a more tart cranberry sauce that will be looser than what’s shown here.
How to Can Cranberry Sauce (Step by Step)
Step 1: Prep the canner and jars
Fill a water bath canner, keep clean jars hot in simmering water (not boiling), and wash the lids. If you are new to canning, check my water bath canning for beginners post and canning equipment overview. Wash the cranberries and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Sugar
For making a whole berry sauce, boil the sugar and the water for 5 minutes. It should be a rolling boil.
I prefer a whole-berry sauce, but if you want a jelly-style sauce, cook the cranberries in the water until soft, then press them through a fine-mesh sieve, add the sugar, and boil for 3 minutes.
Step 3: Add the Cranberries
Add the cranberries and spices and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the berries start to burst. If you are using the butter, add it here to reduce the foaming. The sauce will start to thicken considerably as it cooks. When the sauce is done, add the orange zest.
Step 3: Fill the jars
Using a canning funnel, add the sauce to the jars — this is true whether you made it a whole berry sauce or a jellied sauce, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with a clean chopstick or air bubble remover, then wipe the rims, add lids, and tighten bands fingertip tight.
Step 4: Process
Add the jars to your boiling-water canner using the time for your altitude (see below!). Then turn off the heat and let the jars sit for 5 minutes before lifting them out. Leave the jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours to check the seals. A sealed lid doesn’t flex when you press the center. If your jars didn’t seal, it’s OK; just place the unsealed jars in the fridge and enjoy them within 2 weeks.
| Altitude | Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1,000 feet | 15 minutes |
| 1,001 to 3,000 feet | 20 minutes |
| 3,001 to 6,000 feet | 25 minutes |
| 6,001 to 8,000 feet | 30 minutes |
| 8,001 to 10,000 feet | 35 minutes |
How to Make Fresh Cranberry Sauce Without Canning
If you just want fresh cranberry sauce for this week without canning, then cut the recipe down to make a smaller amount.
To make, simmer one 12-ounce bag of cranberries with 3/4 cup orange juice or water, 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, the zest of 1 orange, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger and allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.
Ways to enjoy cranberry sauce
This cranberry sauce is fantastic for any Thanksgiving plate, especially next to my mushroom wellington, vegan stuffing, and mushroom gravy. It’s also great swirled into oatmeal or yogurt, layered in a leftover sandwich, spread on a baked brie-style cheese, or stirred into a vinaigrette for a winter salad.
For a full spread, see my vegan Thanksgiving side dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you can cranberry sauce?
Yes, cranberries are acidic enough to process in a boiling-water canner without any added acid. This recipe is based on a tested Ball recipe, with lower sugar, spices, and orange zest for additional flavor.
Do I need to add lemon juice to canned cranberry sauce?
Cranberries are more acidic than lemons on their own, so you don’t need to add any more acid.
Can I reduce the sugar?
Yes, the sugar is already reduced from the tested recipe, but if you want it even lower, you can reduce it to 2 cups. Just know that the texture will be looser, and the sauce will be more tart.
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Yes, you can use frozen cranberries. There is no need to thaw them; just add them straight to the sugar mixture.
Can I use pints?
No, the recipe is only tested using half-pints, and a larger jar will change the processing time, which may not be safe.
Why didn’t my cranberry sauce set?
If you reduce the sugar, your cranberry sauce may not set properly. The sauce will also firm up over 24 to 48 hours as the jars cool. Make sure to simmer the sauce until it sheets off a spoon before filling. You don’t need to add any cornstarch or pectin to a canned version.
If you make this canning cranberry sauce, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Canning Cranberry Sauce (Whole Berry or Jellied)
Equipment
- Half-Pint Jars
Ingredients
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 4 cups water
- 8 cups fresh cranberries, about 2 lb
- 1/2 teaspoon butter, optional, to reduce foam
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- Grated zest of 2 large oranges
Instructions
- Prep the canner and jars: Fill a water bath canner, and keep clean jars hot in simmering water (not boiling). Wash the lids. See my canning equipment guide on what tools you'll need.
- If you are making a whole berry cranberry jam, then boil the sugar and water together for 5 minutes, then add the cranberries and spices and simmer for about 15 minutes, until they burst and the sauce sheets off a spoon.
- If you are making a jellied-style cranberry jam, then cook the berries in the water until they are soft, about 10 minutes, then press through a fine mesh sieve. Add the sugar and the spices and boil for 3 minutes, until thickened.
- Funnel the jam into your warm jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace for half-pints. Remove any air bubbles, wipe the rims, and add lids and bands fingertip tight.
- Add the jars to boiling water then process using the time for your altitude: 15 minutes for 0-1000 feet, 20 minutes for 1001-3000 feet, 25 minutes for 3,001 to 6000 feet, 30 minutes to 6,001 to 8000 feet and 35 minutes for over 8000 feet.
- Then turn off the heat, take off the canner lid, and let the jars sit 5 minutes before lifting them out.
- Leave the jars undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Refrigerate any jar that didn’t seal.