It’s that time of year to take advantage of the bold taste of fresh cranberries. Cranberries are only sold fresh in stores from late October through December, so now is the time to preserve them for the year. I usually grab as many bags as I can after Thanksgiving because they typically go on sale then. Having fresh juice on my pantry shelves has been one of the easiest and best things to have as my children have
grown. Knowing what is in the jar and exactly what is going into my kids’ mouths makes me feel better. Store-bought cranberry juice often contains other fruit juices and added sweeteners, which I am not fond of. Also, knowing that I have something on my shelves to drink if the electricity goes out gives me peace of mind.
What You’ll Need:
If you have never taken the jump into canning but have wanted to, then cranberry juice is a great place to start because it is so very simple. You will only need clean jars, lids and rings, a water bath canner, fresh cranberries, sugar and boiling water. The first thing you should do is examine your jars to make sure that none of them have any chips or cracks. If they do, then throw them away.
How to Can Cranberry Juice
Once you wash your jars and they are being sterilized, you can clean your cranberries. I let my cranberries sit in a mixture of cold water, white vinegar and baking soda for about 10 minutes. Always pick out any damaged cranberries. I fill my sanitized jars with 1-3/4 cups of
rinsed cranberries, 1/3 cup of sugar and the rest with boiling water. Leave 1 inch of head space. Just for reference I bought 12 pound of cranberries and it yielded 14 Quarts and 3 Pints of pure, bold cranberry juice. My filled jars then go into a water bath canner for 25 minutes. Always, start with warm water, add the filled jars and then turn the heat up until it reaches boiling. When the water starts to boil you can start your timer. If the water is boiling before you add your jars, you run the risk of your jars cracking because of the quick change in temperature of the glass.
The Benefits of Cranberries
Cranberries are an excellent source of antioxidants and Vitamin C and have been known to help with medical issues. I also can pint jars (just cut the recipe in half) of cranberries and I leave out the sugar for this purpose. People say that straight cranberry juice has helped with UTI’s. I have a family member that deals with them, so I have gifted her with a few jars every year and she is so thankful. Straight cranberry juice is very tart so you can add it to water or tea for a more pleasant taste.
I started canning cranberry juice because my children’s Grandma always had Ocean Spray Cran-Grape Juice at her house, which we still call Grandma Juice to this day. It is their favorite juice to buy in the store. I can concord grape juice every fall using Lehman’s Mehu-Maija Steam Juicer, so I already have 1/2 of the juice needed for Grandma Juice. To complete the recipe, I just needed canned cranberry juice, so I tried it and it was a huge success. I mix 1 quart jar of concord grape juice, 1 quart jar of cranberry juice, 1 cup of sugar (or less for taste) and 1-1/2 quarts of water. That’s all you need for homemade Cran-Grape Juice! Again, I know exactly what is going into our bodies and I don’t have to worry about the added fruit juices or sweeteners.
Cranberries also freeze very well for up to a year. If you don’t have the time to can cranberry juice during these busy holidays, then just freeze the cranberries and get to them in the New Year. Remember to look for them on sale after Thanksgiving. So buy them now while they are still fresh in stores. Happy Canning!
Editor’s Note: Always follow USDA recommendations when canning.
