Old-Fashioned Cranberry Sauce Recipe {Water Bath Canning}

Turn your fresh cranberries into a sweet-tart, ruby-colored condiment for roast turkey, salad dressing, sandwiches, and more! Canning cranberry sauce is incredibly easy and a great project for beginning canners. 

white milk glass dish with cranberry sauce on a piece of lace next to old letters, oranges, and cinnamon sticks.

It’s really not the holiday season without cranberry sauce, at least in my house. We love to make homemade cranberry sauce for the holidays, but we enjoy the flavor of cranberries year-round. Canning your cranberry sauce makes it easy to crack open a jar any time without having to heat up a pan!

Plus, your canned cranberry sauce can be added to cranberry vinaigrette, cranberry mayo, cranberry honey mustard, and much more. It’s helpful in so many ways, and you’ll save yourself some prep before Thanksgiving dinner. 

Is this a safe canning recipe?

Yes, this traditional cranberry sauce recipe is based on the Ball recipe. The only change is that I simmer cinnamon sticks in the cranberry mixture before canning. Adding dried spices is a safe way to modify a canning recipe.

It has a refreshing orange flavor from the orange zest. One batch makes 8 half-pints, and you only need about 2 lbs of cranberries. Super simple!

You can also follow this recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation, which has similar proportions but uses a 1/2 inch headspace.

jars of cranberry sauce cooling on a kitchen towel.

Equipment

To can your own cranberry sauce, you’ll need:

This year, I switched to using a digital pressure canner, which can also be used for water bath canning. It’s been a game-changer! I don’t have to babysit the canning pot at all, and it really makes the whole process foolproof. I can’t recommend it enough, especially for beginners!

vintage bowl with fresh cranberries.

Ingredients

  • Fresh cranberries – I used about 2 lbs of fresh cranberries, but you can also use frozen cranberries. I generally recommend using organic cranberries as conventional ones are heavily sprayed.
  • Sugar – Use regular white sugar for sweetness. 
  • Orange zest – Added right at the end to preserve the flavor oils. 
  • Dried spices – For this batch, I steeped 3 cinnamon sticks. I normally add 2-3 star anise, but I was all out. It adds such a nice spiced flavor to the sauce

How to Make Cranberry Sauce

1. Fill your water bath canner about halfway full of water and add the jars. Heat over medium heat to warm the jars. Rinse lids and bands in warm soapy water and set to the side for later.

2. Wash cranberries under cool running water. Set aside. 

3. Place water, sugar, and dried spices in a Dutch oven and bring to a hard boil for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to help dissolve the sugar crystals.

4. Add the cranberries to the mixture and stir well. Bring back to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil for about 15 minutes. The berries will burst open and pop. To prevent foaming, feel free to add a small amount of butter. Boil for approximately 15 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken and sheet from a spoon (the sauce will slide off the spoon in a sheet, indicating the pectin has set).

5. Remove from heat and stir in orange zest.

6. Remove the warm jars from the canner and place them upside down on a clean kitchen towel to remove the excess water. 

7. Place the canning funnel into a jar and ladle the hot cranberry sauce until it reaches 1/4 inch headspace. Continue with all the jars. (Remove any dried spices.)

8. Stir the sauce in the jars to remove air bubbles then wipe down the rim of the jars with a dampened clean paper towel to remove any residue. 

9. Place the lid on top of each jar and secure the band. It only needs to be fingertight – no need to overtighten or you risk buckling the lids.

10. Place jars into the boiling water canner and make sure they are covered with at least 1 inch of water. Place the lid on the canner and increase the heat to bring it up to a boil.

11. Once the water is boiling, start timing for 15 minutes (increase processing time based on elevation by following the guidelines below). After the allotted time has passed, turn off the heat and let the jars set for 5 minutes.

12. Use the jar lifter to transfer the hot jars to a clean kitchen towel. Let them cool upright at room temperature, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours. Then, remove the bands to check the seal. Store your freshly canned cranberry sauce in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year or longer.

Storing Suggestions

Once processed, the cranberry sauce is shelf stable for approximately 1 year (this is the amount of time generally covered by canning lids) or longer. Be sure to remove the screw bands from the jars before storage as these can contribute to a false seal.

Double-check the safety of your seal before opening the jar. If the lid has buckled or popped off, dispose of the contents. If your sauce has grown mold at all, toss it. Properly canned cranberry sauce has a firm, tight seal with a smooth lid and no signs of mold or decay. 

If you do not want to can, you can also freeze this cranberry sauce for later!

vintage spoon scooping cranberry sauce out of a jar.

Tips for Canning Cranberry Sauce

  • I wanted to share a recipe that was really simple and didn’t require you to hunt down any special ingredients at the store. You can also safely substitute some of the water with orange juice or apple juice (approximately 1 cup) and use brown sugar instead of white for a richer flavor.
  • To ensure a safe seal, rinse your jars in warm soapy water after they set to remove any trace amounts of cranberry sauce.
  • Be sure to only use half-pint jars, not regular pint or quart jars. If you want to use a larger jar, freeze the sauce for later.
  • Instead of making a simple syrup at the beginning, I often add everything together to the pot at once. It takes a little bit longer, but it ends up with a nice jellied cranberry sauce.
  • For an even smoother sauce, blitz it with an immersion blender before canning (remove the cinnamon sticks first).

How to Use

Of course, cranberry sauce is essential at any holiday meal. It’s great with roast turkey, ham, or chicken with your favorite sourdough cornbread stuffing, green bean casserole, and all the sides. 

However, that’s just the start! Once prepared, your jellied cranberry sauce can also be added to:

  • Thumbprint cookies
  • Quick breads or muffins
  • Cranberry Mayonnaise
  • Cranberry Vinaigrette
  • Cranberry Honey Mustard
  • Marinades and sauces
half pint mason jar with homemade cranberry sauce next to fresh oranges, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks.

FAQs

How far in advance can you make cranberry sauce?

If you can or freeze your cranberry sauce, it can be made up to a year ahead of time! This version is shelf-stable as long as you follow proper canning guidelines. It’s safe to enjoy any time of year!

Does canned cranberry sauce need to be refrigerated?

Only after opening or if you don’t get a good seal. If your jars buckle or don’t seal properly, store the sauce in the fridge and use within a week or two. Once you open a jar, it should also be refrigerated (similar to jam).

Related Recipes

closeup of a jar of homemade cranberry sauce with a vintage spoon next to oranges, cranberries, and cinnamon.
scooping freshly canned cranberry sauce out of a mason jar.

Old-Fashioned Cranberry Sauce (for Canning)

Canning cranberry sauce is one of the easiest preserving projects for beginners! It is quick and easy, simplifies your prep for the holidays, and can be used in countless ways. This cranberry sauce recipe uses orange zest and cinnamon for a fragrant, warm flavor that perfectly complements roast turkey, chicken, ham, and more. It's a holiday essential!
No ratings yet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Processing Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Appetizer, sauce, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 half pint jars

Ingredients
  

  • 8 cups fresh cranberries, approximately 2 lbs
  • 4 cups white sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 orange, zested, optional
  • 3-4 cinnamon sticks, optional
  • 2-3 star anise pods, optional

Instructions
 

  • Fill your water bath canner about halfway full of water and add the jars. Heat over medium heat to warm the jars. Rinse lids and bands in warm soapy water and set to the side for later.
  • Wash cranberries under cool running water. Set aside.
  • Place water, sugar, and dried spices in a Dutch oven and bring to a hard boil for 5 minutes. Stir frequently to help dissolve the sugar crystals.
  • Add the cranberries to the mixture and stir well. Bring back to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil for about 15 minutes. The berries will burst open and pop. To prevent foaming, feel free to add a small amount of butter. Boil for approximately 15 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken and sheet from a spoon (the sauce will slide off the spoon in a sheet, indicating the pectin has set).
  • Remove from heat and stir in orange zest. For a smoother jellied cranberry sauce, process the sauce with an immersion blender (remove the whole spices first).
  • Remove the warm jars from the canner and place them upside down on a clean kitchen towel to remove the excess water.
  • Place the canning funnel into a jar and ladle the hot cranberry sauce until it reaches 1/4 inch headspace. Continue with all the jars. (Remove any whole spices.)
  • Stir the sauce in the jars to remove air bubbles then wipe down the rim of the jars with a dampened clean paper towel to remove any residue.
  • Place the lid on top of each jar and secure the band. It only needs to be fingertight – no need to overtighten or you risk buckling the lids.
  • Place jars into the boiling water canner and make sure they are covered with at least 1 inch of water. Place the lid on the canner and increase the heat to bring it up to a boil.
  • Once the water is boiling, start timing for 15 minutes (increase processing time based on elevation by following the guidelines below). After the allotted time has passed, turn off the heat and let the jars set for 5 minutes.
  • Use the jar lifter to transfer the hot jars to a clean kitchen towel. Let them cool upright at room temperature, undisturbed, for 12-24 hours. Then, remove the bands to check the seal. Store your freshly canned cranberry sauce in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year or longer.

Notes

Once processed, the cranberry sauce is shelf stable for approximately 1 year (this is the amount of time generally stated by canning lids) or longer. Be sure to remove the screw bands from the jars before storage, as these can contribute to a false seal.
Double-check the safety of your seal before opening the jar. If the lid is not firmly sealed or has buckled, dispose of the contents. If your sauce has grown mold at all, toss it. Properly canned cranberry sauce has a firm, tight seal with a smooth lid and no signs of mold or decay. 
If you do not want to can, you can also freeze this cranberry sauce for later! 
Keyword cranberry sauce
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2 Comments

  1. Thank you for this recipe! I have a chance to get a bunch of cranberries and I was thinking that canning my own sauce would be awesome! Pinning!

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