Last year I purchased more fresh cranberries on sale than I could use, so I decided to try to can them. My husband enjoys the whole berry sauce, and we used them to fill out a meal the rest of the winter. I froze them right in the bags until I could find the time to can them. Myrna suggested that I also keep some of the raw whole berries in the freezer so I can use them in baking recipes any time of the year. They are only available for a short time around the holidays.
I canned mine in half pints so the two of us could eat up a jar with no leftovers – I open several jars for company or recipes. This year I'm planning to buy some extras when they are on sale and can them again right after the holidays, including any left from Christmas dinner. This is one of the easiest recipes I have ever canned - no peeling or chopping - nothing tricky about it - a good one to start learning with.
Cranberry Sauce
36 ounces Cranberries -- 3 bags
3 cups Water
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
3 cups Sugar
Hot Pack –Bring water, lemon juice, and sugar to a boil, add berries and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Skim foam if necessary. Pour boiling hot sauce into clean, hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner for 15 minutes for half pints, pints or quarts.
Yield: "10 Half Pint Jars or 5 Pint Jars"
Cost: Nov. 2012: 48¢ per half pint jar or $4.76 per recipe. (cranberries cost $1.29 on sale and sugar was 59¢ per pound.)
Equipment Needed: Water bath canner or large covered stock pot with rack, stockpot or jam pan, jars, lids and rings. Jar lifter, lid wand, funnel, bubble knife, ladle, long spatula or spoon, shallow pan with towels for filling jars, 1/2 sheet pan with cloth towel for cooling jars.
Per half cup Serving: 142 Calories; trace Fat (0.6% calories from fat); trace Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 2mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrates.
Hmm, that's a good thought. Have you ever done the jellied kind?
ReplyDeleteI have not - my husband doesn't care for it. It also is more work.
ReplyDeletePick Your Own has a recipe for the jellied kind - http://www.pickyourown.org/jelliedcranberrysauce.htm
Do you think fresh orange peel could be added, or would that turn the sauce bitter?
ReplyDeleteI don't see why not - I would try the zest of one large orange in a recipe this size - you might want zested strips instead of shredded peel for appearance.
ReplyDeleteThe canning here is really no more than is required to get a good seal, just like jam or jelly - if you use 15 minutes you don't have to sterilize the jars first. It isn't enough to cook the sauce really any more than it already was so I would add the orange peel to your taste. You may want to cut down on the lemon by a little - maybe reduce it by 1 tablespoon. You need some acid to get the mixture to be shelf-stable after canning. If there is not enough acid and sugar in the recipe, you can't water-bath can it.
Oh, I love cranberry sauce-year round! Do the berries pop open when you cook them?
ReplyDeleteYes, some. It's just like fresh cooked sauce - the canning doesn't seem to affect the texture any, just preserves it. It's really only to get a good seal. I like controlling what is in my cranberry sauce.
DeleteWe make fresh cranberry jelly for Thanksgiving and it is so much better than the store bought stuff! It never lasts long, but canning it sounds like a smart idea. I think it is pretty easy - 16oz fresh cranberries, 1 cup of water, simmer until cranberries are soft, push through a sieve and put back on the stove with 2 cups of sugar and simmer until it sets ~10-15 minutes. Yum!
ReplyDeleteWhy have I never thought to can cranberry sauce?? Great idea! :) -Jamie
ReplyDeleteI canned cranberry sauce yesterday and added the zest and juice of a couple of oranges. Today I am going to can cranberry chutney. I found these 4 oz mason jars up in the barn; just enough for an individual serving. Do they even still make those? You are an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteMy cranberry sauce recipe uses orange juice instead of water and no lemon juice. Do you think that is ok to can?
ReplyDeleteYes. The center for food preservation doesn't use lemon or orange juice at all, just the same ratio of sugar and cranberries. The cranberries themselves are high acid, and the sugar is a preservative too.
DeleteI have been canning my cranberries in small batches this year, each with a different spice. I always have to do ginger (I'm a ginger fiend), and I did batches with cardamom, allspice, and nutmeg. The nutmeg was outstanding. The cardamom was a bit too subtle (might be old) and I have yet to do cinnamon. I've been using 2 sugar/2 water/2 bags of cranberries and about 1 or 1 1/2 tsp of spice.
ReplyDeleteNice idea, Terry!
DeleteOMG....I just made this recipe with fresh cranberries and its so good.....Although I only got 4 pints with about a spoonful left over - so I ate that!!! This is so much better then store bought out of a can! I'll be making more next week!!!
ReplyDeleteReally glad you like it...we almost always have some on hand...it's easy canning too!
DeleteCould you do drunkin cranberries this way ?
ReplyDeleteDon't really know...this recipe is specifically for canning safely.
DeleteLooking forward to using this recipe. I enjoy cranberry sauce all year long. Plus I too like to control what is in my cranberry sauce. Thank you for sharing this recipe
ReplyDeleteI love this recipe I also am going to can my 30 bags I bought and are in the freezer, I tried it without canning and I absolutely loved it I did use half orange juice and half water after it boiled and berries popped I took my immersion blender and wuzzed it a little leaving some cranberries whole I let it boil about 3 more minutes and just put it in a chinese soup food container and put it in teh fridge I couldn't stay out of it no worries no one here likes cranberries but me. I will can mine in pints though I would eat it up Pinned to my canning folder
ReplyDeleteYou'll have a lot more room in your freezer! And this is easy canning in my opinion. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI made this today and it is REALLY good. I added a chopped apple and the zest and juice of an orange. This will be my "go to" cranberry sauce from now on.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s recommended storage with canning process? I’d like to be able to shelf until time of use and refrigerate after opening.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what you can do. The USDA recommends using products like this within a year for best quality...note that they will keep longer safely...I try to use my home canned items within 2 years, but it's probably safe beyond that time frame.
ReplyDelete