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Canning Cranberry Sauce

Canning cranberry sauce with whole berries turns out glossy and thick after a gentle boil, then sets as jars seal in a water bath. This method uses orange juice, bottled lemon juice, and a 1/4-inch headspace for reliable preserving.
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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: 104
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cranberry sauce base
  • 48 oz fresh cranberries
  • 4 cup sugar
  • 2 cup water
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 12 half-pint mason jars Jars, lids, and bands

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and heat jars
  1. Wash 12 half-pint mason jars, lids, and bands, then keep the jars hot in simmering water with the lids and bands ready for use.
Cook the sauce
  1. Bring sugar, water, and orange juice to a boil in a large pot, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved.
  2. Add fresh cranberries and bottled lemon juice, then boil gently for 10-12 minutes until the berries burst and the sauce thickens.
  3. Stir in orange zest and continue to heat just long enough to distribute it evenly through the sauce.
Fill and can
  1. Ladle the hot cranberry sauce into the hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.
  2. Wipe the jar 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.
  4. Turn off the heat and rest the jars in the canner for 5 minutes before lifting them out.
  5. Cool the jars undisturbed for 24 hours to help seals form reliably.
  6. Check that the lids have sealed, then store sealed jars in a cool dark place up to 1 year.

Notes

Pro tip: Keep jars hot the entire time so the filled jars don’t crack and the processing works consistently. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year; refrigerate any unsealed jars and use within 7–10 days. For a dietary swap, use orange juice as written but consider reducing added sugar only if you follow a tested low-sugar canning method—this recipe is formulated for standard water-bath processing.