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Canning Cranberry Sauce

Canning cranberry sauce with whole berries gives you a glossy, thick texture after a short boil and proper water-bath processing. This method seals half-pint jars for up to a year, with orange juice and zest for bright flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Fresh cranberries
  • 48 oz Fresh cranberries Use fresh, whole berries.
Sugar
  • 4 cup Sugar
Water
  • 2 cup Water
Orange juice
  • 1 cup Orange juice
Bottled lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Bottled lemon juice
Orange zest
  • 1 tbsp Orange zest

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep jars and canner
  1. Wash 12 half-pint jars, lids, and bands, then keep the jars hot in simmering water so they’re ready for filling.
  2. Prepare a boiling water bath canner and keep it ready so you can process the filled jars immediately after filling.
Make the cranberry sauce
  1. Bring sugar, water, and orange juice to a boil in a large pot, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Add cranberries and bottled lemon juice, then boil gently for 10-12 minutes until the berries burst and the sauce thickens.
  3. Stir in the orange zest and keep the sauce hot while you ladle it into jars.
Fill and process jars
  1. Ladle the hot sauce into the hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
  2. Wipe the rims clean, then apply lids and bands fingertip tight.
  3. Process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes, adjusting processing time for altitude as needed.
  4. Turn off the heat, rest the jars in the canner for 5 minutes, then lift out the jars and cool undisturbed for 24 hours.
  5. Check that the lids have sealed, then store sealed jars in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the jars hot until filling to reduce temperature shock, and follow your altitude adjustment exactly for safe sealing. Refrigerate any unsealed jar and use within 3-5 days; freeze is not recommended for this canning method. For a lighter option, reduce sugar only if you use a tested low-sugar or no-sugar canning cranberry recipe and follow its specific processing time.