Canned Apple Cranberry Sauce Recipe
This homemade canned apple cranberry sauce recipe is one that you are going to want to make this fall. Full of sweet apples and tart cranberries, it makes the perfect sauce for the holidays!
For most of us, cranberry sauce is a staple at the dinner table during the holiday season. Whether at Christmas dinner or with our Thanksgiving turkey, there is always a bowl of cranberry sauce to pass around.
Growing up at my house, we opened a can of cranberry sauce, plopped it into a bowl, and smashed it with the back of a spoon. Sound familiar? These days, I make my own.
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When it comes to cranberry sauce, everyone has a preference, whether it’s a whole-berry sauce, a cranberry jelly, or none at all. A good cranberry sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Full of fresh flavours from tart cranberries, and apples for a wee bit of additional sweetness, my homemade version of whole berry cranberry sauce puts the canned stuff to shame.
You have to try it! It’s the perfect recipe for your next holiday meal.
If you want to can and store this recipe like I do, you’ll need a few supplies.
Canning Supplies:
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- 12 Quart Water Bath Canner with Lid – best for foods with high acidity like salsa, tomatoes and fruit.
- Ball Mason Jars – sterilized half quart sized jars work best for this recipe.
- Snap Lids and Rings – new, unused snap lids are needed to get a good seal on your jars.
- Canning Jar Lifter – this is used to lift the hot jars safely out of the boiling water bath.
- Magnet Snap Lid Lifter – this makes pulling the snap lids from the water after being sterilized much easier.
- Over the Sink Strainer – this is my go-to strainer for processing a lot of fruit and veggies.
- Rubber Tongs – for grasping hot jars and lids when sterilizing.
- Tea Towels – used for cleaning and handling hot jars.
- Stock pot – for boiling the canning liquid.
- Jar Canning Funnel – perfect for pouring the liquid into mason jars.
- Ladle – for scooping sauce into the jars.
- Cutting board – used to chop the fruit and veggies.
- Potato scrubber – best for cleaning cucumbers, apples, and other firmer skinned produce.
- Sharp knife – these are my favourite for slicing and dicing.
- Measuring spoons and cup – for measuring ingredients.
- Paper towel – perfect for wiping down the jars and cleaning up.
We used these gorgeous, fresh cranberries pick from my grandparents property. Of course, store bought cranberries work just fine too!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of whole, fresh cranberries
- 1 cup of unpeeled, chopped apples
- 1 1/2 cups of white sugar
- 1/4 cup of apple juice
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp each cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg
Cranberry Sauce Recipe:
Directions:
1. Combine the apples, whole cranberries and apple juice in a medium saucepan.
2. Allow them to come to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reached a jam-like consistency.
Apples are high in natural pectin and will help the sauce to set.
4. Pour the homemade cranberry sauce into warm, sterilized jars.
5. Process for 15-25 minutes depending on the size of your jar. 15 minutes for half pints and 25 for pints.
This recipe yielded five half pint sized jars.
Tips and Tricks:
- Want a smoother sauce? Put the cooked mixture into a food processor and blend. You can then push it through a fine mesh sieve or leave as is.
- Throw everything into your slow cooker instead of using the stovetop. The house will smell incredible!
- Open jars of leftover cranberry sauce should be kept in the fridge and consumed within one month.
What to serve this easy recipe with:
- This homemade sauce makes a perfect condiment in leftover turkey sandwiches.
- Roast chicken or our garbage can turkey!
- Pork roast or pork chops would be a great option.
- Why not try some on your next bowl of ice cream?
Alternative ingredients:
- Use a bit of orange zest or chop up some orange peels for a citrus twist. Be sure to remove the white pith from the peels first to avoid added bitterness.
- Switch up your sweeteners. Substitute some or all of the white sugar for brown sugar, or maple syrup. Or add less sugar overall for a more tart final product.
- Try orange juice or apple cider in place of apple juice.
- Add a splash of orange liqueur.
Make a gift and add:
- A cinnamon stick or cookie cutters tied to a jar.
- A recipe card with detailed instructions for making more.
- An invitation to join you for a meal.
This year, set your holiday table with the best cranberry sauce ever. You’ll be glad you did!
If you love this canned apple cranberry sauce recipe, please give it a five star review and help me share it on Facebook or Pinterest so that others can enjoy it too!
Apple Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of whole fresh cranberries
- 1 cup of unpeeled chopped apples
- 1 1/2 cups of white sugar
- 1/4 cup of apple juice
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ⅛ tsp each cinnamon cloves, allspice and nutmeg
Instructions
- 1. Combine the apples, whole cranberries and apple juice in a medium saucepan.
- 2. Allow them to come to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- 3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reached a jam-like consistency.
- 4. Pour the homemade cranberry sauce into warm, sterilized jars.
- 5. Process for 15-25 minutes depending on the size of your jar. 15 minutes for half pints and 25 for pints.
Nutrition
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Oooohhh, just found this…pinning it…one quick question…do you leave the peel on your apples? Looks FABULOUS!!