Cranberry recipes turn a bag of tart, ruby-red berries into homemade sauce, chutney, quick bread, canned juice, and sparkling mocktails. These are the cranberry recipes I make every year from October through the holidays.
Fresh cranberries are only in stores for a few months, so I buy extra bags and freeze them to use all year.
so easy!
Homemade Canned Cranberry Juice
My most popular cranberry recipe; fresh cranberries, water, and sweetener canned into juice you can keep in the pantry.
Cranberry Sauce, Chutney, and Salsa
A holiday table needs something tart and bright to cut through the turkey and gravy. My 3-ingredient cranberry sauce comes together in minutes on the stovetop, and once you make it, the canned kind is hard to go back to.
For more personality, my cranberry apple chutney adds Granny Smith apple, ginger, and orange zest. My cranberry salsa is the appetizer I make when I want something fresh with almost no effort.
Baking with Cranberries
Tart cranberries balance sweet batters and doughs, so a little goes a long way. My cranberry orange bread is full of fresh cranberries and orange zest, then finished with a simple orange glaze.
My almond biscotti with cranberries is my take on the twice-baked Italian cookie, made for dunking in coffee. For a finishing touch on cakes, cheese boards, and holiday drinks, make a batch of sugared cranberries; they look fancy but take very little work
Cranberry Juice and Mocktails
Canning cranberry juice is how I stock my pantry every fall. My homemade canned cranberry juice is made with fresh cranberries, water, and sweetener, then processed in a water bath canner.
When you want something festive without alcohol, my sparkling cranberry mocktail with lime is tart and bubbly. The cranberry juice mocktail is another easy way to use a bottle of juice.
Can you freeze fresh cranberries?
Yes. Put the unopened bag straight into the freezer; frozen cranberries hold their quality for about a year.
Do not thaw them before cooking. Thawed cranberries turn soft and mushy, so add them to the pot or batter frozen and expect a minute or two of extra cooking time.
Can I use dried cranberries instead of fresh?
No; they are not interchangeable. Dried cranberries are sweetened and chewy, while fresh cranberries are tart, juicy, and burst as they cook.
Sauce, chutney, salsa, and juice all need fresh or frozen berries. Use whichever type the recipe card calls for.
Can I make cranberry sauce ahead for Thanksgiving?
Yes, and it is one of the best make-ahead holiday dishes because the flavor gets better as it chills. Make it a few days early, keep it covered in the refrigerator, and check the recipe card for how long it keeps.
On the table, treat it like any other perishable food; put it back in the refrigerator within 2 hours.
What can I mix with cranberry juice for a non-alcoholic drink?
Sparkling water, lemon-lime soda, ginger ale, and orange juice all pair well with cranberry juice. My sparkling cranberry mocktail adds fresh lime for a tart, bubbly drink everyone at the table can enjoy.
How long do you water bath can cranberry juice?
Follow the processing time on my canned cranberry juice recipe exactly, and add time if you live above 1,000 feet in elevation. Canning times are tested for safety, so never shorten them.
Check that every lid has sealed once the jars cool. Refrigerate any jar that did not seal, along with any jar once you open it.