There are many great reasons to freeze cranberry sauce, from prepping your favorite cranberry sauce in advance to save time at the holidays to making sure you don’t waste leftover cranberry sauce afterward, either homemade or canned. Here are our best tips to freeze cranberry sauce – no special equipment required.
The holiday season would not be complete without a dish of Cranberry Sauce, a type of cranberry relish, at the table. It’s the perfect condiment for roast turkey, slow cooker ham, or any other roast meats. This sweet, tart sauce is a family favorite at our house, making a regular appearance in my holiday cooking.
While I am a huge fan of homemade cranberry sauce (see my favorite homemade recipe below), I am also a firm fan of jellied canned cranberry sauce as well. Both are delicious and both can have a place at your Thanksgiving dinner, Friendsgiving gathering, or even at Christmas dinner.
There’s good news! Homemade cranberry sauce freezes well and so do the leftovers from an open can. Freezing cranberry sauce is a great way to enjoy the holidays for weeks to come.
Leftovers are delicious. If you’re making homemade cranberry sauce, you’re going to want to make and freeze it in bulk so you can have leftovers! It’s delicious with holiday dinner leftovers, but you can also or use it as a jam or fruit sauce substitute. And it’s super tasty on leftover turkey sandwiches.
Cranberry Sauce is great in baked goods. Leftover homemade cranberry sauce is delicious on oatmeal, pancakes, and waffles and it’s amazing baked into Kate’s Oatmeal Jam Bars or any baking recipe that calls for jam.
You can avoid food waste. Wasting food is basically wasting money. Why do it if you don’t have to? Trust me, you’ll use that frozen cranberry sauce in so many ways!
To freeze cranberry sauce, you only need cranberry sauce. This can be the leftover canned sauce you serve with a meal or homemade. After years of preferring the can, I found a way to make homemade sauce that our family absolutely loves. I usually make a double batch and freeze it in small portions for easy serving.
fresh cranberries – Stock up on berries when they go on sale during or after the holidays. I usually buy a half a dozen bags on clearance to stash in the freezer. If you love fresh cranberries as much as we do, be sure to try our Cranberry Cookies.
dark brown sugar – I use brown sugar instead of white. I personally love the hint of molasses that brown sugar provides. You can use whatever sugar you have, but try it with dark brown sugar. So good.
water – You don’t need a lot of water as you don’t want the cranberry sauce to be too thin and runny.
orange juice – Oranges and cranberries are a classic combo, but I’ve never cared for the texture of the orange peel. It detracts. Instead I subbed in fresh orange juice for some of the liquid to add another layer of flavor. You can also use frozen orange juice is that’s more economical.
extras – Some people like to add a cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, or orange zest to the pot while it simmers. I typically make it simple.
Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The chutney will keep for 10 days in a covered container in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
How to Freeze Cranberry Sauce from a Can
Canned cranberry sauce that you buy at the grocery store is ready to eat and has a long shelf life. However, once you open the can, the delicious sauce needs to be consumed within a few days.
Never leave the opened sauce at room temperature for longer than two hours. Refrigerate it promptly or freeze in the same way you would fresh cranberry sauce.
Transfer the sauce into your choice of plastic containers or ice cubes. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To use frozen cranberry sauce: Let the cranberry sauce thaw in the fridge for a few hours to overnight, depending on the portion sizes. Larger portions will take longer to thaw.
If you’d like to serve the cranberry sauce warmed over ice cream or pancakes, reheat it in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbly, stirring occasionally.
Cranberry sauce is typically a simmered concoction of fresh cranberries, water, and sugar. Some people add orange or lemon zest, ginger, or cinnamon. I like to use orange juice for some of the water.
Cranberry sauce is great with cooked meats such as chicken, turkey, pork, or roast beef. The cool sauce is a tasty foil to the hot meat and trimmings. It’s a perfect budget Thanksgiving recipe since cranberries often go on sale near the big day. Cranberry sauce is also delicious on ice cream, oatmeal, or pancakes.
Yes! This homemade cranberry sauce recipe is one of many Thanksgiving Recipes to Make-Ahead and Freeze. Cook the sauce according to the recipe instructions. Cool and chill before storing in the freezer. Be sure to label with with the recipe name and date so you can be sure to use it at the right time.
Cranberry sauce is meant to be served cold, but warmed sauce would not be amiss on a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
Yes! Buy cranberries when they go on sale at the holidays and stash them in the freezer. Then you can make homemade cranberry sauce whenever you want.
This recipe fits the bill on all counts since it tastes much better than the canned variety and it has a better ingredients list. Plus, it’s easy to make and freeze cranberry sauce! But, can you save money?
Here’s how the numbers crunch:
- fresh cranberries – $0.98
- dark brown sugar – $0.33
- orange juice – $0.10
While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $1.41 for a batch of Cranberry Sauce.
You can save even more by buying the cranberries on sale. Around the holidays, you should find them for about a dollar. I’ve found them as low as 25-cents a bag on clearance. At those times, I stock up and stash them in the freezer for all kinds of baking and saucing needs.
How to Make and Freeze Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Prep step – Wash the berries. My mother-in-law, New England-born and raised, says you need to put them in a bowl of water. Use what floats. Ditch any that sink. Those are bad.
Combine the cranberries, sugar, water, and orange juice in a medium saucepan. Stir well with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar.
Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the berries split and the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Alternatively, you can place the ingredients in a crock pot and allow it to cook on low for several hours. This will give the sauce a more cooked, wine-like flavor.
Transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Let it cool at room temperature until the steam blows off, then chill until ready to serve. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for longer storage.
To freeze cranberry sauce: Transfer the chilled freezer-safe container to the freezer and store for up to 2 months. To avoid freezer burn, make sure to chill the sauce in the fridge for several hours. This speeds the freezing process and helps prevent freezer burn.
If you want to store smaller portions of cranberry sauce, you can divide the sauce into smaller freezer bags, package it in small pouches with a vacuum sealer, or divide the sauce into ice cube trays or Souper Cubes. Once frozen, you can pop out the frozen cubes and transfer them to a freezer-safe bag.
Cranberry Sauce Using Frozen Berries
FAQ
Does cranberry relish freeze well?
Does cranberry sauce freeze well?
Can Trader Joe’s cranberry orange relish be frozen?
Does cranberry juice freeze well?
Can cranberry chutney be refrigerated?
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving. Store the cranberry chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Can You Freeze Cranberry Chutney?
Can I freeze chestnuts?
Chestnuts can be frozen and is rather recommended. If chestnuts are stored at room temperature, the chestnuts themselves will consume more and more carbohydrates and lose their sweetness. By freezing them once, the sweetness of the chestnuts can be preserved for a long time.
How to make homemade cranberry chutney?
This easy homemade Cranberry Chutney is both tart and sweet at the same time and spiced with just a touch of nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Rinse cranberries and place in a large pot. Add the zest and juice from the oranges along with the remaining ingredients.
Can I make cranberry chutney 2 days in advance?
Yes, you can make this chutney up to two days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving. Store the cranberry chutney in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.