How to Can Whole Cranberries (Easy Water Bath Method)
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Every November the grocery store fills up with bags of fresh cranberries, and then a few weeks later they’re gone until next fall. I don’t like being at the mercy of the produce aisle, so I buy a pile of them while they’re cheap and put them up in jars. Whole canned cranberries are pretty on the shelf, and they’re ready for sauce, baking, smoothies and holiday drinks any time of year.
This is one of the easiest things I can all year. No peeling, no chopping, no pitting. Rinse, pack, pour and process. If you’re new to water bath canning, this is a great place to start.
Why Can Whole Cranberries?
- They’re seasonal. Fresh cranberries are really only in stores from about October through December.
- They’re cheap right now. Holiday sales are the time to stock up.
- They’re flexible. Drain them for muffins and quick breads, cook them down into sauce in a few minutes, or spoon them over yogurt or oatmeal.
- They free up freezer space. Shelf-stable jars don’t take up room the turkey needs.
What You’ll Need
- Fresh cranberries (about 3 cups per pint or 6 cups per quart)
- Sugar and water for a light or medium syrup
- Pint or quart canning jars with new lids and bands
- A water bath canner (or a deep stockpot with a rack)
- Canning funnel, jar lifter, ladle and a clean towel
Step by Step: How I Can Whole Cranberries
1. Get your canner and jars ready
Fill your water bath canner, set your clean jars in it, and bring it up to a simmer so the jars are hot when you fill them. Hot jars and hot food help keep jars from cracking.
2. Sort and rinse the berries
Pour the cranberries into a colander and pick out the stems and any soft, shriveled or bruised berries. Give them a good rinse.
3. Make your syrup
I used a light syrup so the berries stay tart and work in recipes. For eating straight out of the jar, go a little sweeter. These are the batch amounts from the tested method:
| Syrup | About 7 quarts | About 9 pints |
|---|---|---|
| Extra light (best for baking) | 1¼ cups sugar + 10½ cups water | ¾ cup sugar + 6½ cups water |
| Medium (sweeter, for eating) | 3¾ cups sugar + 8¼ cups water | 2¼ cups sugar + 5¼ cups water |
4. Hot pack the cranberries
Bring the syrup to a boil, add the cranberries, and bring everything back to a boil. Then ladle the berries into your hot jars with a canning funnel and top them off with hot syrup, leaving ½ inch of headspace.
5. Bubble, wipe and lid
Slide a bubble tool or clean chopstick down the sides to release air pockets, and add more syrup if the level drops. Wipe the rims with a damp clean towel, center the lids, and screw the bands on fingertip tight.
6. Process in the water bath canner
Lower the jars into the canner, make sure they’re covered by at least an inch of water, and bring it to a full rolling boil. Start your timer once it’s boiling: 15 minutes for pints or quarts at 0 to 1,000 feet. If you live higher, add time for your altitude (see the chart below).
7. Let them rest
Turn off the heat, take the lid off the canner, and let the jars sit for 5 minutes before lifting them out onto a towel. Leave them alone for 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals, remove the bands, wipe the jars, label and store.
Processing Times by Altitude
| Altitude | Pints | Quarts |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1,000 ft | 15 min | 15 min |
| 1,001–3,000 ft | 20 min | 20 min |
| 3,001–6,000 ft | 25 min | 25 min |
| 6,001–8,000 ft | 30 min | 30 min |
| 8,001–10,000 ft | 35 min | 35 min |
These times follow the tested hot-pack method from Bernardin (Ball’s sister brand in Canada): ½-inch headspace and 15 minutes for jars up to a quart, plus the standard altitude adjustments. The USDA/NCHFP hasn’t published a whole-cranberry recipe, but it does have a tested cranberry sauce recipe if you’d rather go that route.
How I Use Canned Cranberries
- Drain and fold into muffins, scones and quick bread
- Simmer a jar down with a little orange zest for fast cranberry sauce
- Blend into smoothies
- Spoon over oatmeal, yogurt or cheesecake
- Add a few berries and a splash of the syrup to sparkling water for a holiday drink
Canned Whole Cranberries
You’ll need
- Water bath canner and rack
- Pint or quart jars, new lids and bands
- Canning funnel, ladle, jar lifter
- Bubble tool
Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries (about 3 cups per pint, 6 cups per quart)
- Sugar and water for syrup (see chart above)
Instructions
- Heat jars in the canner.
- Sort and rinse the cranberries.
- Bring the syrup to a boil.
- Add the cranberries and return to a boil.
- Ladle into hot jars, cover with syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace.
- Remove bubbles, wipe rims, add lids and bands.
- Process in a boiling water bath.
- Rest 5 minutes in the canner, then 12 to 24 hours on a towel.
Processing
Water bath, hot pack: 15 minutes for pints or quarts at 0–1,000 ft. Add time for higher altitudes.
MAMA’S TIP Buy an extra bag or two for fresh recipes. Once you see these jars on your shelf, you’ll want to keep them!
Grab the free Canning Log and Processing Times chart in the Vault.
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Common Questions
Do the cranberries float?
Some floating is normal with whole fruit. Packing the jars snugly helps.
Can I use frozen cranberries?
Yes. Rinse them and use them the same way. They may soften a little more.
How long do they keep?
For best quality, use home-canned fruit within about a year. Store jars in a cool, dark place, and always check that the seal is still tight before you open one.
Want more canning ideas? Head over to the Canning section, and grab your free Canning Log in the Printables Vault so you can keep track of every batch.
