Canned Cranberry Sauce

Course: Preserves

Cuisine: Christmas, North American, Thanksgiving

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Canning Time: 10

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 71kcal

Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen

This water bath Canned Cranberry Sauce is pectin-free and prepared with either fresh or frozen cranberries, citrus zest and juice, and flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and allspice. It's absolutely delicious and so easy to prepare. Say goodbye to store-bought cranberry sauce!

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Ingredients

4 pounds frozen or fresh cranberries (Note that if you are using frozen cranberries, you may need to boil the sauce a bit longer to get the desired thickness.)
2 cups water
6 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons orange zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup orange juice
4 whole cinnamon sticks
10 whole cloves
6 whole star anise
10 whole all-spice berries

Instructions

Add the cranberries, water, sugar, lemon and orange zest, and the lemon and orange juice to a large pot.
Tie the cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and all-spice berries up in cheesecloth and place that in the pot as well.
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for 15-20 minutes or until the cranberries have popped and started to bread down. You will notice that the sauce begins to thicken.
Once you have reached the thickness you prefer, use a spoon to scoop the scum from the top of the sauce and discard. At this time, remove the cheesecloth seasoning pouch as well and discard.
In the meantime, prepare your water bath canner. Wash your jars and lids. (More details on how I do this can be found in the body of the recipe post above.)
Use a canning funnel, fill the jars leaving hafl inch head space. Wipe down the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel to ensure none of the sauce has come in contact with the rim. Remove any air bubbles from the sauce as well.
Carefully remove the sealing discs or lids from the hot water with a magnetic lid lifter. Position it directly onto the lid of the jars. Do not touch the underside of the lid. Screw on the screw bands until firm – do not apply pressure! Just use your fingertips to tighten.
Using the jar lifter, place the jars into the canner and place the lid on. Once the water returns to a boil, process the sauce for 10 minutes. (This is for altitudes of 1-1000 ft. Please adjust accordingly for your specific location.)
Once done, turn off the heat and use the jar lifter to carefully remove each jar from the canner. Do not tilt the jars or try to wipe them dry. Place jars onto a wire cooling rack that has been covered with a clean kitchen towel. Leave the jars to cool for a minimum of 12 hours. Once cooled, wipe the jars of any residue that might have been transferred to the outside of the jar during the boiling process. Label the jars and store them in a dark, cool cabinet.

Notes

Recipe as written will make approximately 10-12 half pint jars. Two tablespoons is one serving.

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