This easy method for water bath canning cranberry sauce is simple, tested, and easy enough for first time canners!
Perfect for the holiday season, or for preserving a generous bounty, this cranberry sauce recipe is WAY better than anything you can purchase at the grocery store.
Many years ago, we had the opportunity to pick wild cranberries. After taking them home, washing them, and sorting them, I flipped through my canning books to figure out how I was going to make sure they didn't go to waste.
I was a beginner canner, so I followed the recipe as-is and was able to bring a jar of home-canned cranberry sauce to Thanksgiving dinner. Boy, was I proud of myself!
Now, more than a decade later, this recipe has evolved to include safe additions like orange juice, zest, and a bit of salt. This enhances the flavor and creates a spectacular whole cranberry sauce that wins rave reviews every time.
The best part? You can use a water bath canner, which makes it easy for even beginner canners. I've worked hard to outline each step and provide detailed photos so you can have success making your very first batch of homemade canned cranberry sauce.
Why You'll Love It:
- Perfect for the holiday season. This cranberry sauce is way better than store-bought and is the perfect addition to the holiday meal. We love to bring it to Thanksgiving dinner or enjoy it with brie as a delicious appetizer!
- Lovely gift idea. Home-canned cranberry sauce makes a charming host gift or addition to a gift basket.
- Whole berry cranberry sauce. This is the easiest way to make your own cranberry sauce. While jellied cranberry sauce has its place, it requires a lot more equipment and time.
You Will Need:
- Cranberries: You will need 8 cups of fresh cranberries, which works out to about 1 pound 13 ounces or 835 grams.
- Sugar: For this recipe, you can use regular cane sugar or its organic counterpart.
- Orange zest: For a bright orange flavor, we recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of orange zest (about 1-2 oranges should do the trick), although it's optional.
- Orange juice: This can be fresh-squeezed or bottled, but if you're using orange zest anyway, fresh makes sense (also optional – you can use water instead)
- Salt: Not a typical ingredient, but this is a little trick for enhancing the other flavors in the cranberry sauce. A very small amount goes a long way!
Tools & Equipment
- Water bath canner (also known as a boiling water canner)
- Canning jars, lids, and rings (4 pint-sized jars (500ml) or 7-8 half-pint jars (250ml))
- Magnetic lid lifter (optional)
- Headspace checker (optional - can use a clean ruler)
- A debubbling tool (a clean butterknife or chopstick works well)
- Stock pot (or Dutch oven)
- Wide-mouth funnel (optional)
- Cold plate and spoons (for testing the gel stage)
- Ladle and whisk
- Thick kitchen towel
If you want more information on the specific tools, check out my post on essential water bath canning supplies.
Water Bath Canning Cranberry Sauce
Before you get started: Place 5-6 metal spoons in your freezer to chill. These are used to check the consistency of the cranberry sauce, which helps you to determine if it's ready to can or not.
- Prepare the jars and canning equipment. Before you get started, prepare your jars and equipment by washing everything in hot, soapy water and rinsing with cold water. Fill your jars (pints or half pints) with hot water and place them in the canner. Fill the canner with hot water, and bring to a boil. Boil the jars for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and keep the jars warm in the water while you prepare the cranberry sauce. See the recipe card for more details on canning equipment prep.
- Boil sugar and water. Add 3 ¾ cups of water and 4 cups of granulated sugar to a very large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, whisking often to help dissolve the sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, whisking often.
- Add the cranberries. Once the 5 minutes are up, add 8 cups of fresh cranberries and ¼ cup of orange juice to the sugar and water. Return to a boil.
- Simmer until set. After a boil is reached, reduce to medium-high heat and simmer until the mixture "sheets" when tested with a cold spoon (see below). This will take about 25-30 minutes, so it's important to stir often to prevent scorching. After the cranberry sauce passes the sheet test, add the orange zest and salt and stir well.
How to Check the Gel Stage
- Before you get started: Place 5-6 metal spoons in the freezer.
- Once most of the whole berries have burst, begin checking the sauce with a cold spoon to see if it has "set" (similar to the gel stage when making old fashioned strawberry jam)
- At first, the sauce will be quite syrupy, and it will come off the cold spoon in droplets.
- When the proper consistency is reached, it will start to drop in wide “sheets” off the spoon.
- Once your sauce begins "sheeting", stir in the orange zest and salt. You are now ready to ladle into jars and process.
The Water Bath Canning Process
- Ladle the hot cranberry sauce into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace at the top of the jar. Use a wide-mouth funnel to keep the rims of the jar clean, making for less work later on.
- Wipe the rims. Use a clean, damp cloth or dampened clean paper towel to wipe the rims of the jar, removing any jam or debris, and ensuring the rims are completely clean (if they are not, it can prevent the jars from sealing).
- Add lids. Use a magnetic lid lifter to place warm, clean jar lids on each jar. Place a canning ring on each jar, securing it just until fingertip tight (just tight enough to secure with your fingers – do not overtighten the rings).
- Place jars in the boiling water canner. Bring water in the canner to a rolling boil and add the jars using a jar lifter. After all of the jars are added, the water should be 2 inches above. Add more boiling water if needed. Add the lid, and begin the processing time once all of the jars are inside, AND a rolling boil is reached.
- Process the jars for 15 minutes. Boil the jars in the canner, with the lid on, for 15 minutes.
Once the processing time is up:
- Turn off the heat.
- Remove the canner from the heat source, and leave the lid on.
- Allow the canner to rest (with the jars inside) for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid, then carefully remove the jars using a jar lifter.
- Place the jars on a thick kitchen towel (or a wire rack). Leave them in a place where they can go undisturbed for 24 hours.
- Check the seals. As the jars seal you will hear a loud POP and the center will indent slightly. Most of the jars will seal in the first 1-2 hours, but some may take longer.
- Tip: a good way to check for a proper seal is to remove the canning ring and lift the jar up by the metal lid.
Recipe FAQs
For canning recipes, it is not considered safe to substitute maple syrup for sugar unless the recipe specifically says to do so. If you wish to use maple syrup for your cranberry sauce, do not proceed with the canning process. Instead, opt to freeze it. Also, remember to reduce the water to accommodate the liquid state of your sweetener.
Adding small amounts of spices or herbs is generally considered safe for water bath canning fruits. You can add up to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (although that might be a bit strong), or simmer the sauce with cinnamon sticks – just remember to remove them before canning your cranberry sauce.
Reference: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/play-it-safe-safe-changes-and-substitutions-tested-canning-recipes
No, you do not! This recipe is a water bath canning recipe, meaning you do not need a special pressure canner for processing. A simple water bath canner will do, although you can use a very large pot with a jar rack on the bottom (easy to find at thrift stores) as long as you have a secure-fitting lid.
Cranberry Sauce without Canning
- If you want to make homemade cranberry sauce, but don't want to go through the canning process, it's easy to do that!
- Prepare the sauce, right up to checking for the "sheeting" stage.
- Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers.
- Freeze for extended storage, or keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Cranberry sauce freezes well for up to 6 months, but I've had it last a full year when stored correctly!
Storing Canned Food
- The USDA states that home-canned food (with a true seal) is good for at least 1 year, while most jar manufacturers say the seal is good for at least 18 months.
- Many experienced canners maintain that canned foods are good for many years, but the quality will begin to degrade after 1 year.
- Keep in a cool, dark place (like a basement) for the best results.
- Never store your home-canned goods with the outer ring in place, and discard if the seal is compromised or there is any off smell or growth in the jar.
- ALWAYS inspect your canned foods for signs of spoilage and for a secure seal before consuming. Lift the jar up by the lid; if the lid falls off - discard immediately as the seal has been compromised.
Water Bath Canning Recipes:
If you loved this recipe for canning cranberry sauce, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @folkkitchenblog.
📖 Recipe
Canning Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh cranberries or frozen (about 835g or 1 pound 13 ounces)
- 3 ¾ cups water
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice or more water (about 2 large oranges)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons orange zest about 1-2 large oranges worth
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare all of your canning jars, lids, rings, and canning equipment* by washing in hot, soapy water and sterilizing if needed.
- Heat the jars. Add water-filled jars (4 pints or 7-8 half-pints) to your water bath canner, and pour in enough water to cover the jars by 1-2”. Place the lid on and bring to a boil over high heat. Once a boil has been reached, turn off the heat and allow the jars to rest in the hot water while you prepare your cranberry sauce.
- Before you get started: Place 5-6 metal spoons in your freezer so they will be ready when you need to test the cranberry sauce for consistency using the sheet test.
- Boil sugar and water. Add the sugar and water to a large stainless steel stockpot and whisk well. Heat over high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, whisking often.
- Add the cranberries. Pour in the cranberries and orange juice (if using) and return to a boil.
- Simmer until set. Once a boil is reached, reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer (stirring often) until the berries are well broken down and the mixture “sheets” when tested with a cold spoon**, this will take approximately 15-25 minutes. Be sure to stir often to prevent scorching.
- Add the orange zest and salt. Once the cranberries have mostly burst and the sauce passes the sheet test, stir in the orange zest (if using) and salt.
- Fill the jars. Ladle the hot cranberry sauce into hot jars, leaving a ½” headspace from the top of the jar. Remove any air bubbles with a clean butter knife (if needed), then wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel. Place a warm lid on top, then secure a canning ring just until fingertip tight. Transfer the filled jar to the water bath canner using a jar lifter. Repeat until all of the jars are filled or until the sauce is used up.
- Process for 15 minutes. Once all of the jars are filled, place the lid on the canner and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Start the processing time only once a full boil is reached. Process for 15 minutes.
- Cool down. Once the time is up, remove the lid and remove the canner from the heating element. Then allow the canner to cool for 5 minutes before removing the jars. Place the jars on a thick towel (or wire rack) and allow to rest in the same spot for 24 hours before transferring to storage.
- Checking the seals and storage. After 24 hours, check the seals and remove the canning rings. Wipe down the jars and label them. Any jars that have not been sealed should be moved to the fridge to be eaten right away. Sealed jars store in a cool, dark place for at least 1 year as long as there are no signs of spoilage, broken seals, etc.
Notes
- <1,000 feet: 15 minutes
- 1,001-3,000 feet: 20 minutes
- 3,001-6,000 feet: 25 minutes
- 6,001-8,000 feet: 30 minutes
- 8,001-10,000 feet: 35 minutes
Nutrition
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The majority of the canning recipes here at Little Home in the Making are adapted from tested recipes from the USDA, National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP), and other trusted sources. Check the recipe card for listed sources and relevant links.
Dorothy Bigelow says
It's so much easier to water bath cranberry sauce than you would think! We love the subtle orange flavor and it's way better than the stuff you get at the grocery store.